Help Is Always Given To Those Who Need It
by Carlos1995
Summary: Hermione Granger has to spend her summer before 5th year at Grimmauld Place. Whilst there, something awful and distressing happens to her and there is only one person who is willing to help her. The most unlikely people will become her allies and friends may become enemies. A/N: Characters will be OOC, distressing chapters will be marked. Everything belongs to J.K Rowling.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm doing the official disclaimer here and now. I do not own any of the characters that are mentioned in this fanfic, I do not own any of the places that are mentioned in this story. This story sort of follows the storyline of the 'Harry Potter' franchise that belongs to J.K Rowling. There is no copyright intended in this chapter or any future chapters that will follow. Many Thanks.**

 **A/N: Warning: This story starts in the summer between 4th and 5th year, after the death of Cedric Diggory. Some of the characters will appear OOC and there will be distressing chapters later on, which is why this story has been rated M. There will be swearing and disturbing violence, I will mark the truly disturbing chapters so hopefully, the more sensitive reader will have advanced warning. Many Thanks.**

 **Hope you enjoy! :)**

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 **Chapter 1 - Grimmauld Place**

Hermione Granger sat in her empty childhood home on a lazy mid-August evening. It had been only seven weeks since the murder of Cedric Diggory and the return of Voldemort. Dumbledore had taken her parents, much to their displeasure, and moved them to a secure location for protection. Hermione had no idea where they were, she just knew that they were safe and for now, that was all that really mattered.

You see, things were happening already now that Voldemort had returned. Hermione had received word a few days ago that there had been a Dementor attack on Harry and his cousin Dudley close to where they lived in Surrey. The Order had immediately come together and decided that other muggle homes, such as the Granger's, could be under threat as well depending on what Voldemort knew about Harry and his friends. So, as a precautionary response, Hermione was going to be spending the rest of the summer away from her home and her parents would be sent somewhere safe and protected.

Hermione was sat in her kitchen with her suitcase and a few other personal effects. She was waiting for an order member to come and collect her and escort her to Grimmauld Place where she would spend the rest of her summer until her fifth year at Hogwarts began in September.

'It could be worse' she sighed to herself.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there just thinking about how everything was now going to change. This was it, war would be imminent and there was nothing that could be done about it except fight.

A knock at the front door broke her line of thought and she moved to answer it. As she looked through the hole on the door to see who it was, she became slightly anxious when she noticed her potions professor, Severus Snape, staring directly back at her as if he knew she was watching him through the spyglass.

"Today would be wonderful, Miss Granger, if you don't mind" he stated impatiently whilst tapping his foot.

Without any further hesitation she threw the door open and came face to face with the man.

"Come in Professor" she said meekly.

They professor swept into the house and walked straight past Hermione and straight into the kitchen and shrunk her belongings.

"Ready to go Miss Granger?" He inquired.

Hermione just nodded, she knew she would stutter if she tried to speak and was in no mood for his mockery tonight.

Hermione took one last look around her house and moved towards the door where her professor was waiting for her.

As they navigated the quiet, nearly dark streets of her town she couldn't help but let her mind wonder to the enigma that was Severus Snape.

He was dark, brooding, a death eater (even if in disguise), sarcastic, belittling and downright terrifying. However, she couldn't help thinking about the other side of him that no one knew about. Surely to be this deeply involved in The Order and go as far as putting his own life on the line for them, there surely had to be more to him than what he let on.

She chances a glance at the professor and noticed he was staring back at her with a raised eyebrow. Bugger. She had forgot about him being a legillimens, she flushed red before staring back at the road ahead.

"Thoughts like that can become dangerous if one is not careful, I suggest you desist, Granger" he threatened.

Severus Snape was astounded by what he had seen in the young girls head. There was no horrible thoughts or images of ways she wished she could maim him but instead, there was the desire to understand him and give him the benefit of the doubt.

'Stupid Chit' he thought bitterly to himself.

They eventually reached a safe apparition point and without a word he grabbed her arm, linking it with his, and dissaperated in a cloud of dust.

Hermione had never apparated before and no sooner had they landed she felt her stomach turn and her face turned green as she let go of her professor, turned her head away from him and threw up what seemed like everything she had ever eaten. She grimaced, she hated being sick.

After a couple of minutes the sickness stopped and the post-apparition nausea vanished. She couldn't believe she had just lost the contents of her stomach in front of Snape. He would surely hold this against her in her classes. She groaned.

"Quite finished Granger?" He looked down his nose at her and vanished the mess she had made.

Hermione nodded a switch that they continued the rest of the journey to headquarters.

Upon arrival Hermione was led towards the kitchen where other Order members were gathered around the table discussing their next moves.

Snape entered the room and a hush settled across the members as they knew Hermione would be following in behind. She was still a minor, she was not yet an Order member and they had no desire for her to be involved in such matters yet.

In the kitchen sat Remus, Moody, Sirius, Tonks, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Kingsley, Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore.

"Hermione dear, welcome, you look awfully pale child, let me fix you something to eat" Mrs Weasley fussed over her.

"I'm ok thank you Mrs Weasley" Hermione replied hoping that Molly would just leave her be.

But Molly seemed to ignore her request and went about bustling for something for her to eat.

"Come and sit Hermione" Remus invited her in the vacant seat next to him.

"How are you?" He asked concerned. Everyone knew about her being separated from her parents and that she must feel a little out of place here without her friends.

In truth, Hermione was more than a little uneasy. Apparently when Harry had learned that she would be spending the summer with his godfather and he had to remain with his aunt and uncle, he went mad and was so angry at the situation and had snubbed her letters of apology that she had sent to him. She would have to rebuild some bridges before school started again.

"Now Miss Granger, you will be staying here for the rest of the holidays, as you have already been informed" Dumbledore addressed her.

"There will be Remus, Sirius and Severus staying with you so if you need anything you will find one of them to assist you. I will be checking in frequently to give updates and discuss the situation and the changes that may come about this summer. I must ask you Miss Granger not to go exploring too much in this house. It comes from a very old wizarding family that upheld...ideals, and you never know what you may come across here dear. However, I am sure that you will be shown the library that is here and this will keep you occupied" Dumbledore explained.

Hermione smiled at the thought of new reading material and the opportunity to broaden her knowledge. She could research and hopefully feel slightly more prepared for the tough times ahead.

"That's put a smile on her face, that's our Hermione" Mr Weasley beamed.

"If you can wait 10 minutes for the conclusion of this meeting then I will show you and Snape what rooms you will be staying in" Sirius smiled warmly.

Hermione smiled back and expressed her thanks before being led out of the kitchen by Molly and a plate of food.

Hermione wandered into a room and quickly discovered the Black family tree room and had a look at the centuries of history. She saw a few names that she noticed such as Bellatrix, Narcissa Malfoy, Andromeda (although it has been burned out) and Draco Malfoy.

"Pretty morbid family tree isn't it?" Sirius questioned from the doorway which he was leaning against with his arms crossed.

Hermione just smiled slightly timidly as if she wanted to apologise because it was his family but didn't want to apologise because of the family members.

"It's alright, I hate them to" he whispered and grinned.

Hermione grinned back "Sorry Sirius but I didn't know what this room was until I had walked in. I was automatically drawn in by the history of it, being muggle born I've never seen something like this. I feel as if I've been incredibly intrusive though so for that I apologise".

"Some things never change do they Granger?" a mocking voice sneered from the doorway.

Hermione turned around and there was Snape stood arms folded, looking extremely bored and again very impatient.

"I'm waiting for the pair of you to finish reminiscing so I can be shown to my...room" he said with disdain.

"Don't blow your cauldron Snivellus, we are coming now" Sirius hissed back at his childhood enemy.

Hermione watched the exchange with great curiosity. She wondered what the history was between Sirius and Snape but she didn't dare ask, she wanted to keep her kneecaps where nature intended and so kept her mouth firmly shut as Sirius led her and the potions professor up the stairs towards the first floor.

"MUDBLOOD SCUM" a voice shrieked from nowhere.

Instinctively, Hermione ducked and grabbed her wand pointing it in the direction of the voice which was seemingly thin air.

"HOW DARE YOU AND YOUR FILTHY BLOOD ENTER MY HOME! HOW DARE YOU! VILE CREATURE, WATCH YOUR BACK LOTS OF NASTY THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU HERE! the voice screamed at Hermione.

"Oh shut up you old biddy" Sirius yelled back and pointed his wand at a portrait of a woman who was looking directly at Hermione with such hate and disgust that it unnerved her to the point where she almost pissed her pants.

With a flick of his wand, Sirius caused some black curtains to cover the portrait which promptly shut it up. He then reached out; to where Hermione still had her wand hand outstretched towards the painting, and gently pushed her arm down.

"That's my Mother, charming woman isn't she?" Sirius stated whilst still looking at the now pale Hermione with concern.

Snape placed his hand on the girls shoulder and began pushing her away from the scene and towards the set of bedrooms that could now be seen from the staircase. They began to walk down the long hall and Sirius eventually stopped.

"Snivellus, this is your temporary room" Sirius stated as he opened the door. She peeked into the room and instantly knew that Sirius had a death wish.

The room was flowery with subtle pinks and purples that coloured the walls and the carpet was a crimson colour.

Snape looked murderous whilst Sirius was trying (and failing) not to laugh, he had obviously done this on purpose and had done it to get a reaction and a rise out of Snape. He was definitely going to regret this.

"I thought it being out your inner feminine side and inner Gryffindor Snapey, enjoy your stay won't you" Sirius said and with a quick from quickly flounced out of the room.

Hermione was left staring wide eyed at the room and Snape suddenly realised she was still there. He growled as he turned to face her, he sneered and then he slammed the door shut in her face. Hermione was expecting this so let it be and she quickly moved to catch up with Sirius, who had gone into a room that was two doors up from Snape's.

"This will be your room Gryffindor princess" he said. The room was standard but was duck egg blue, her favourite colour.

"I will let you get settled in kitten. The bathroom is through the door that's between you and Snapey, you will have to share the bathroom unfortunately but do feel free to use the library and the kitchen whenever you want. If you are unsure of anything you can, like Dumbledore said, come to see one of us Order members or you can call for Kreacher the house elf, I warn you though, he is not pleasant even when he is in his best mood" Sirius explained.

"Thank you Sirius" she said. With that, Sirius left her to unpack and settle in to her new accommodation for the summer.

After unpacking Hermione decided to change into her pyjamas as it was dark now and as it was summer, she guessed it was nearly eleven and because today had been an extremely emotional day, she was feeling quite tired so she decided she go and have a quick look at this library and then she would go to bed.

She made her way back down the stairs and found the kitchen again. She knew that the library must have been beyond the kitchen because she had explored the other rooms that were downstairs.

"It's this way" a voice rang out in the silence. She spun around to find Remus grinning at her.

"Come on, follow me. The library is just through here" Lupin explained.

Hermione followed Lupin into the Library and she gasped in awe at the magnificence of the room. The room was huge with a massive fireplace that made the room shine. She noticed that there were a few desks and comfortable chairs and sofas. What she marvelled at was the amount of books that there was, because of the height of the room itself there was a ladder attached to the bookcase itself so that you could reach the books that were placed higher up. Hermione wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming and she became vaguely aware of a voice calling her name.

"Earth to Hermione, everything ok?" Remus laughed, she was so lost in the library that she had literally gone into daydream world.

Hermione blinked and once again became fully aware of her surroundings and then she began to ask some questions and made inquiries about the history of the library and if some of the books were family journals, was there anything that she shouldn't look at and if the library was categorised.

Lupin laughed and shook his head at her questions "There are family journals in here, mostly at the top and when you come into the room the books on the left are wizarding books and the the books on the right are mainly classic muggle literature. You will know if anything is dangerous or you shouldn't look at it because the book will be warded so you won't be able to open it" Remus told her.

He yawned "I'm off to bed Hermione it's been a long day, Good night" Lupin said.

"Good night Remus" she smiled back.

She wanted so badly to spend all night in here looking through the books but she knew she was far too exhausted for that so she went and looked at the classical literature and found one of her favourites , Jane Austin's 'Sense and Sensibility'. She loved this book, whilst other girls were waiting for their Prince Charming to ride in on his white horse like a knight in shining armour; Hermione was still waiting for her Colonel Brandon. She always thought that the sweetest men were the men who knew what it was like to love and lose because these men would treat everything they had as sacred and she just wished she could mean that much to someone someday. She took the book and made her way back towards the kitchen to grab a glass of water to take to bed in case she got thirsty in the night. She then trekked up the stairs and realised that as it was probably after midnight by now, she would tiptoe as quietly as she could past Snape's door. She made it to her bedroom and set her glass and book down on the bedside table and realised she should probably use the facilities before getting into bed.

She made her way to the bathroom and relived herself before quietly making her way back to her bedroom. She opened the bathroom door and lightly closed the door.

"What do you think you are doing Miss Granger?" Snape asked coolly as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"I-I was going to the lavatory sir" she replied confused. Was it such a crime to go to the bathroom?

"Don't be dense, it doesn't suit you Granger. I meant a moment ago when you tried to sneak back up the stairs and past my room" he raised an eyebrow.

She blushed, not quite so stealth as she thought she had been then.

"I went and got a book and a glass of water from the kitchen" she said honestly.

"Well, next time I want you in your room by ten thirty, this may not be Hogwarts but I still expect you to be in bed by a decent hour and so the same curfew that is in place at the school will be enforced here as well" Snape grinned knowing that this would piss her off.

Hermione silently fumed, how unfair! This was the summer holidays after all. What right did he have to boss her around when she is out of his jurisdiction.

"Is that all sir?" She spat out bitterly at him.

His smirk grew "Awwww, the Gryffindor princess is getting all angry because she is tired. Run along little girl and get to bed, should I find you wandering these halls for any reason other than to use the facilities, you will find yourself in numerous detentions come September, am I clear?" He drawled.

"Yes Professor, I find it generous that you would permit me to use the facilities if needed, I thought you would have stopped that as it could annoy you" she said honestly.

"Miss Granger, yes it would annoy me however, I may be strict but I am no monster. You are human with needs and we can't have the princess causing herself damage now can we?" He stated rhetorically.

He continued smirking again "Unless of course you have an accident and piss the bed, then I will aid you with magic, at the expense of mockery of course" he finished.

Hermione flushed red, embarrassed, how dare he suggest that she would wet the bed and how dare he think about mocking her if she did? The nerve of that man.

She turned her back on him and walked into her room, slamming the door as she went. She climbed into bed and found that she was too exhausted to begin her book so she turned out the light and immediately started to drift off.

'This is going to be a long summer' she thought to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Unwanted Attention**

Warning - Disturbing content ahead.

Hermione woke, like she had for the past week, feeling content and fully relaxed. She had spent most days in the library looking at dark arts book, until Snape had found out and went absolutely mental at her telling her that she had absolutely no business dabbling in the dark arts and that if he were to see her reading another book on the subject, she would be banned from the library altogether.

But there was no one around now, the full moon was in a couple of days, so Lupin had left the safe house and Snape had gone back home to finish working on the wolfsbane potion. She had no clue where Sirius had gone but if she had learned anything about him in the past week, it was that he was a womaniser and loved his drink. Although he was still wanted for his prison escape, it had no impact on his social life and he recklessly would leave his home in search of a sleazy club to satisfy his needs.

"Arrogance and stupidity" Hermione said to herself whilst shaking her head.

Harry's hearing for using underage magic had been a couple of days ago but Hermione didn't know much detail, only that Harry was cleared of all charges. Good, it was self-defence after all and if he hadn't of done it, who knows what could have happened to him and his cousin. Harry was still annoyed that he had been refused permission to stay at Grimmauld Place, even after everything that had happened with the Dementor attack. Instead, Dumbledore had just upped the amount of protection on Harry's aunt and uncle's home.

Oh well, at least Harry was safe for now and being in this house by herself meant that she had a bit of time to herself now and she could explore her surroundings. Her natural curiosity was getting the best of her and so she went and took off to the second and third floors of the house.

She realised very quickly that most of the doors were locked and she wondered what was on the other side, she would have to ask Sirius about that later. She then came across a final set of stairs hidden almost out of sight on the third floor and soon found that they led to the loft. Hermione entered the loft and began looking around at some of the things that was up there. She knew she had to be careful, this was a wizarding house and she didn't know what to expect or what would happen if she were to touch something that she shouldn't.

She came across an ottoman full of photos and she began to look through them. She found many pictures of a young Sirius, Bellatrix, Narcissa and Regulus Black. She even came across what she thought were some baby photos of Draco Malfoy, the platinum blonde hair was almost a dead giveaway and she knew that she would make copies of these and using them for blackmail. She sniggered at the thought of showing Malfoy that she had nude baby photos of him, the pure shock on his face would be hilarious. He would think twice about calling her mudblood then. She spent a short time looking around at some other items and heirlooms before leaving the loft altogether and heading back down the stairs towards the third floor.

She knew that there would be not much more that she could explore because of the other doors being locked and warded and prevented her from entering. She had quickly become bored of her explorations and so went to the kitchen to fix her some dinner.

As she entered she was greeted with a "filthy brat" from the charming house elf that served in the Black family home. Hermione rolled her eyes and continued on her mission for food. After she had eaten, Hermione retreated back into the library and decided to read another muggle classic, she picked out Homer's 'Odyssey' and began reading.

Whilst Hermione had spent the afternoon and evening reading in the library Severus Snape had been having a much more eventful day. He had been summoned just before midday to the Malfoy Manor and when he entered he came face to face with the death eaters and what looked like some new recruits. The Dark Lord himself was not present however, he was expected to make an appearance later to give the new death eaters their initiation tasks and explain their duties. Lunch was served to the death eaters and this was followed by entertainment courtesy of the Dark Lord himself.

Severus tried to remain emotionless as muggle women, who had been drugged, were brought into the room and then stripped naked before the younger and more list driven men had their way with the women. Snape tried to keep the contents of his stomach, he was lucky he had convinced everyone that he was asexual many years ago.

Severus may me strict and nasty at times but he had meant what he said. He was not a monster. He wouldn't go out of his way to show anyone that he cared or that he would help however, he would watch from afar and intervene when it was necessary and as inconspicuously as he possibly could. He had no respect or no time for men who took liberties with the fairer sex and was highly against rape and sexual torture.

He had grown up in a home where there was no love, no comfort and the constant sound of his mother's screams whenever his father was near. He tried to protect and defend his mother where he could but it would often end up with his father taking his anger out on a young Severus. Many times as a child, Severus would huddle up in the corner of his room hoping that his father would just leave him alone for one night.

As Severus got older and went to Hogwarts, he became stronger and less likely to take the beatings of his father. Whilst he was at Hogwarts his mother had died, he knew she would have suffered a humiliating death at the hands of his father and so Severus vowed revenge.

When he accepted the dark mark, his initiation task was to murder his father, it was too easy. He had only been seventeen at the time but oh how he had felt so good watching his father beg him for mercy and to spare his life. Severus remembered the satisfaction he felt as he watched the light leave his father's fearful eyes.

Coming back to the present, Severus noticed that the revel and entertainment seemed to have stopped and everyone was stood still, hardly daring to breathe. A moment later the Dark Lord entered.

"My faithful servants. It's good to be back. We have much to discuss and much to do" he addressed the room.

Severus listened to his master and what the plans were in the upcoming months. He knew that it would be nothing major, the Dark Lord was still to weak from his recent transformation and knew that too much could be a setback rather than a way forward.

By the end of the meetings all that had been done was the new recruits had been given their tasks and the Dark Lord had told his inner circle, which included Severus, Lucius Malfoy and a couple of others, that he was going to stage a mass outbreak at Azkaban in order to get some of his stronger followers out. Snape knew he wanted the Lestrange's, Dolohov and Greyback in his ranks over the next year as he got stronger. They would be useful, he knew.

As he was excused and left the meeting, he became aware of his wand heating up and he cursed.

'For fuck sake Black, are you trying to get yourself killed?' Snape muttered to himself. Black had left the safety of his home because he obviously had no control over his hormones and so narrowed down Snape's search of where he would find Black.

"Point Me" Snape muttered. He began following his wand.

'This is going to be a taxing night' he thought to himself.

Hermione yawned and realised that it was nearly ten o'clock and she had been reading for over six hours. She decided she would have a shower and then get into bed. She went up to her room and collected her towel and her toiletries and made her way into the shower. She undressed and stepped under the cool spray and enjoyed the feeling of the summer heat and sweat washing away. She sighed in content and washed her hair and body before turning the shower off and reaching for her towel. As she was towel drying her hair, she realised she had left her pyjamas in her room.

'Oh well, I'm only going to my room' she thought to herself with a shrug and wrapped the towel around her body.

As she stepped out into the hallway she was surprised at the sight before her.

Snape was stood at the top of the stairs looking completely pissed off and had his hands around the throat of a very drunk Sirius who was pinned against the wall and laughing.

"You need to get laid Snapey and turn all of that anger and frustration into sex. I thought being a death eater meant that there was always some poor, innocent woman to prey off of" Sirius mocked.

"How dare you say such things? You have no idea, no idea, just what goes on at those meetings and I will be damned if I take part in any of it! You mutt, are no better than them when it comes to respecting and treating women. Don't you ever let me hear you speak about such things in such a way, ever again" Snape yelled so loudly that Hermione was sure the dead had woken.

Snape's breathing was deep and fast as if it was taking all he had to restrain himself from ripping Sirius' limbs apart and it sounded as if Snape was growling.

Then his gaze shifted, he noticed that Hermione was standing in the middle of the hallway and watching the scene unfolding. Snape regained control of himself and let go of Sirius, who because of the alcohol lost his balance and landed on his arse.

"Miss Granger, what did I say about curfew?" he said calmly.

Hermione stuttered "I-I was just in the sh-shower and I was just g-going to bed" she couldn't hold his gaze anymore and found an interesting spot on the floor to stare at.

"Yes I can see that from your inappropriate attire or lack off. I suggest you stop parading yourself like a common whore and put something decent on" he chastised firmly.

She blushed as she remembered she was stood in front of two grown men in nothing but a towel to cover her modesty. She may be inexperienced on the matters of sex and such but she wasn't naive or ignorant of the male sex.

"Looking good gorgeous" Sirius slurred from his place in the floor looking up and down at Hermione's towel covered body with lust.

Hermione grimaced; she wasn't even of consensual age in the muggle world until September. She felt slightly creeped out by Sirius' drunken perverseness.

Snape also looked at the mutt in disgust and stalked towards Hermione. He then grabbed her by the arm and practically threw her through the threshold of her bedroom before grabbing the door and slamming it shut behind her.

'How rude' Hermione thought at Snape's manhandling of her as she got dressed in her pyjamas and got into bed.

Meanwhile Snape had turned to Black and grabbed the man and practically dragged the man down the stairs and through him onto the nearest sofa he could find. Snape wanted the mutt as far away from him as possible and not left passed out on the floor outside his and his student's bedroom. Quite simply, Snape didn't trust the dog. Snape eventually went back up towards the bathroom and quickly paused outside his student's room and heard her light snores. Satisfied that she had settled, Snape got his shower and headed to the library to research a topic that has cropped in tonight's death eater meeting. However, due to exhaustion, once he had settled into one of the library's comfortable chairs, he fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Sirius had started to come out of his drunken stupor and his thoughts replayed how his evening had gone. He had gone to a backstreet type club in Soho. Sirius went there with the intention of getting completely drunk and finding a woman who would satisfy his needs.

Being stuck in a house alone all the time left you with little choice but to seek sexual gratification via your own hands and mind. There was only so much that could do and for so long and masturbating was not like the real thing, not even close.

Sirius had managed to sneak out of his own home tonight, with no Snape or Remus to stop him, he could do whatever he wanted. However, after getting drunk, he had been unable to find a women to fuck before Snape came along and pulled him back to his home. Snape had been looking for Black for over an hour and eventually had resorted to using the 'point me' spell to track Black down.

Now here Sirius was, only slightly drunk and unsatisfied on a Saturday night. He thought about how badly he needed to get laid and could already feel his erection trying to break free from the confines of his underwear and jeans. He sat down on the sofa and undid his trousers, his hand immediately stroking his cock through his underwear; he did this for several moments before growling to himself in frustration and giving up. It was not enough!

His drunken mind then fled to the Granger girl who had been stood in just a towel and he wondered if that had been an invitation upon itself. He grinned, he would have her.

Sirius stood up and stumbled up the stairs to the first floor and made his way to her bedroom door. He opened the door and waltzed straight over to her bedside and took a look at the young witch who was currently sleeping, he marvelled at her beauty and he reached out to stroke the side of her cheek and basked in the feel of her silky, smooth, young skin. His cock was now throbbing and leaking pre-cum, his hand moved to give some relief from the pure ache of his manhood.

Hermione was slowly becoming aware of her surroundings as she began to wake up from her sleep. She immediately sensed that something was off and that there was someone else in her room.

Her head moved until she came face to face with Sirius Black who had a leering smile on his face. Hermione began to panic.

Sirius cast a locking and silencing charm on the room and proceeded to mount the bed and press the length of his body against hers.

Hermione immediately screamed but knew that no one would be able to hear her.

"Oh how I love a screamer, Hermione" Sirius slurred. Hermione could smell the alcohol on his breath. He began to let his hand wander under her too and towards her breast. She knew what he was going to do and she tried to fight him but the more she fought, the stronger Sirius became.

"Good Gods, please no!" She begged him, tears falling freely down her face as she still struggled against the man.

Sirius just smiled at her and put his lips against her neck.

"Come on love, I will make sure you enjoy it" he whispered as he magically stripped her of all her clothes.

Hermione was now lying naked on her bed with a brute of a man on top of her and no matter how much she struggled and tried to get him off her; she couldn't get him to budge.

After trying to hit him one too many times, Sirius magically bound her arms and legs and immobilised her so she couldn't move. She screamed and cried, she could feel Sirius' erection getting closer to her opening. She was praying for a miracle, anything that could possibly help her or prove she was in a bad dream and that she would wake up and none of this would have happened.

Sirius' patience snapped and with one thrust into her, he tore through her virginity and was between her dry walls. She screamed and everything blurred, she was in so much pain, she was seeing stars and trying to remain conscious. She knew she had lost so Hermione just remained motionless and tried to retreat somewhere warm and happy in her mind and hoped to leave the assault behind her.

Sirius gave her no time to prepare or grow accustomed to this new sensation and he just thrust into her over and over again as he could feel himself getting closer to the edge.

After three more large thrusts he was thrown over the edge and came so hard he couldn't see straight. Exhausted and finally satisfied, he pulled out of the underage witch and noticed for the first time the vast amount of blood that was now coming from in between the girls legs.

Sirius immediately sobered up and realised what he had just done. Fuck!, Shit!, Hell!, Albus would send him back to Azkaban for sure if he heard about what Sirius had done to the Gryffindor princess, Sirius was panicking and so he did the only thing he thought to do at that point. He leaned in closer to the now terrified and traumatised witch and hissed in her ear.

"You tell anyone and I will make this look like a picnic in the park. You cause me any more trouble than you are worth and I will hurt you. Am I clear?" He finished menacingly.

Hermione just nodded, still crying and in extreme pain. She was so scared, she didn't know what to do she just closed her eyes and wished it all away.

Sirius moved towards the door and he cast a cleansing charm to remove the blood and any evidence he could have left behind. He cast a contraception charm on the girl and he unbound the witch whose body limply relaxed on the bed and he gave one last warning look as he made his leave.

"Remember what I said girl" he stated and with that, he was gone.

Hermione lay there staring at nothing, thinking of nothing. She eventually rolled onto her side so she could bury her head into the pillow and sob so no one would hear her. She placed a hand between her thighs where there was still a painfully intense throbbing.

As unconsciousness claimed her, she thought back to what professor Snape had said to her earlier in the hall.

'Common whore indeed' she thought to herself as she closed her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Night Terrors**

Hermione opened her eyes; the room was bright and inviting a new summer's day into the window. The sun was high in the sky, so it has to be at least midday. It was everything opposite to what Hermione was feeling. She could feel every ache and pain in her muscles and it was a struggle just to sit up without crying out in pain.

It confirmed that last night had happened and hadn't just been a nasty dream. Hermione wanted to curl up into a ball and die but she knew she had to appear as her normal self, she couldn't let on that anything untoward had happened otherwise who knows what Sirius would come back and do to her.

She moved around silently and slowly and made her bed, like she would on a normal day and she then grabbed her toiletries, a clean towel and clothes and headed towards the bathroom. Once inside the bathroom she couldn't help but get into the shower, she needed to wash last night off of her. She took her time washing her hair and cleaning her body, she scrubbed herself raw.

Logically, Hermione knew she should tell someone, she didn't know what damage had been done to her or if there were going to be any consequences as a result of the previous night. She stopped thinking and switched off, she would start crying otherwise and that would naturally draw attention to herself that she didn't want. She just prayed for a little luck and hoped her body was fine and would heal on its own.

Whilst in the bathroom, she opened the cupboard next to the sink and found some glass bottles. Potions. She hoped that maybe there was something in here that she could use that would help her in some way. She eventually came across some salve that would help heal any bruising, she applied that to her area. She also came across a pain relief potion and so she took it and immediately felt a tiny bit better. She just hoped Snape wouldn't notice and so wouldn't ask any questions. She was after all a terrible liar.

She dressed in her clothes for the day and collected her things and left the bathroom.

"Another shower Miss Granger?" a voice she knew all too well questioned from behind her.

Hermione automatically froze and turned to face her potions professor. She took a deep breath and prepared to tell the most convincing lie of her life. Hopefully this lie would get her professor to leave the matter be, it normally worked on every other man.

"Yes professor, I was unfortunate enough to start my menstrual cycle early this month and I was in a bit of a mess when I woke up this morning" she half lied, she had definitely woken up in a state this morning. Also, hopefully this lie could prove useful if there was any residual blood on her bedsheets and may also help her to explain away a pain potion and any look of pain should it come to it.

Snape regarded his student and wanted to both run from the girl and demand the whole truth from her. He knew she wasn't wholly telling the truth but in case she had started her menses he didn't want to 'rock the boat' as it were and upset her. He didn't want to risk an emotional episode if he asked or said the wrong thing so he let it go.

Being head of house he always had his Slytherin girls coming to him for all sorts of things. Nightmares, cheating boyfriends, menstruation - one girl once had no clue what was happening to her and was convinced she was dying. Nope, Snape was an understanding man but he was probably the last person, if at all, that one would go to for comfort.

He cleared his throat almost uncomfortably "very well Miss Granger" and he quickly turned and headed towards the stairs.

Hermione watched the retreating man until she heard him walking on the floor below before releasing the breath she never knew she was holding. She hoped that it would be a closed matter and he would not interrogate her any further.

She didn't want to leave her room that day so she would call upon the house elf, even though it went against her morals, and asked for food and some reading material. She also decided that to pass the time she would work on her summer projects, she would finish them within a week if she focused. After all, that's what it was all about, finding something else to focus on so that her mind couldn't wander into dangerous thoughts.

After working diligently for hours, the room was starting to get dark so she knew that night was approaching. She didn't really want to go to sleep, she knew that nightmares awaited her. She hoped that she wouldn't raise suspicion. She couldn't cast a silencing spell or use her wand for any purposes because she was still underage, she didn't need the ministry on her back on top of everything else that was going on.

She sighed as her eyes began to droop, sleep was inevitable and she was so scared. But she would fight it for as long as she possibly could.

After his conversation with the Granger girl, Snape had gone downstairs in search of something to eat. As he entered the kitchen he noticed Black, who seemed slightly pale and a little skittish.

'Serves you right for getting recklessly drunk, mutt' Snape thought to himself whilst relishing in the fact that Black was experiencing discomfort. In fact, the bloke looked like he was about to lose the contents of his stomach.

"Don't look to cheerful at my death Snape" Sirius hissed.

"When you die Mutt, I will rejoice my dancing on your grave" Snape sneered back.

Sirius was not in the mood, he was lucky that his internal fear had come off as a hangover in front of Snape. He thought for a second that the Granger girl had opened her pretty little mouth and sold him out to old Snapey.

With a huff, Sirius left the kitchen and headed towards his study so he could sit in silence and think things over with some whiskey.

Snape, after getting food, headed to the library. He went to research the Deathly Hallows, he felt stupid in doing so, it was a children's bedtime story after all.

The Dark Lord was convinced that the hallows existed and suggested that the elder wand could become useful one day and was in the process of trying to track down where it was.

Snape had informed Albus and an Order meeting was to take place, here at Grimmauld Place, on Tuesday evening. Hopefully, Lupin's furry problem would be over and he would have recovered by then, they needed everyone that they could get on this.

Severus sighed as he came up empty on his research and instead let his mind wander to thoughts of the tribe times ahead.

He didn't expect to survive this war, playing double agent was dangerous and one slip up would cost him his life.

'This is my promise to you Lily' he thought mournfully as he remembered why he was putting himself in danger and protecting the Potter boy with his life.

Snape snapped out of it 'dangerous territory' he thought to himself and quickly shook his head as if trying to clear his train of thought away.

He left the library and headed upstairs to his bedroom, he sat down at the desk that was provided and took out a journal and wrote down potential leads and places that he could think of that would link directly to the hallows. He was sure the Potter boy had the cloak of invisibility and he was also sure that it was that method Potter used to sneak out and wander the corridors after curfew.

Snape had no idea as to where he would begin looking for the other two hallow. It was going to be a lot harder than he thought; hopefully the Dark Lord was at an even bigger loss than he was. He eventually put the quill down and found that for the first time in a while, he had absolutely nothing to do. He sighed and decided the only thing for his to do was to go and have a bath.

Snape gathered his bathroom necessities and headed for the bathroom. Granger had been awfully quiet today - actually he wasn't going to give it any more thought. He cringed as he remembered trying to fight back an embarrassed look from gracing his face this morning after Granger had spoken.

As he started running the bath his thoughts turned to how wound up he had been recently. He loathed to admit it but, the mutt was right, Severus had not had any form of physical contact with another woman in well over three years and it was beginning to affect him.

The slightest woman in the street turned him on and it was highly embarrassing and even more so, it was highly irritating and extremely distracting. There was only so much pleasure that his hand could give him.

He finished running his bath and submitted to his natural urges. He summoned a magical pornographic magazine and began to look at the moving pictures of the witches and watched the compromising positions change.

He let his eyes close and his hand drift down to where he needed it most of all. He let his head fall back in pleasure and his jaw slackened as he fully relaxed and allowed himself to enjoy this moment that he needed to satisfy himself.

His dick was long, thick and nearly purple for the release that it so desperately wanted. He began rubbing and ran his fist up and down his shaft, applying the perfect pressure and the right speed and with his other hand he fondled and played with his balls. He found himself coming closer and closer to climax, a lot more quickly than he thought.

"YESSSS" he couldn't help but yell as he finally achieved climax and began to spurt long ropey white ribbons from his cock. He kept tossing his fist until he had spent every last drop he ever thought he had inside him.

His normal pale cheeks were now tinged red from exertion and arousal and he was slightly breathless as he basked in the afterglow of his wanking session.

He stayed that way for who knows how long until he decided it was time to get out, judging by the skin that had wrinkled due to being in the water for so long.

He felt fully relaxed and in state of bliss as he got dressed into his bed clothes and made his way to his bedroom. Once inside, he flopped down into the bed and lay there completely mellow and enjoying the high.

Sometime later Severus fell into a blissful sleep, something that hasn't happened in decades. He had left his window open so there was a light summer breeze blowing into the room there was silence and he enjoyed the tranquillity whilst he had it.

Meanwhile, Hermione sat wide eyed in her bed. What had Snape been doing in that bathroom to make him yell like that? She didn't want to think of the obvious, everything sex related was making her feel nervous and extremely anxious. She tried to play it off by telling herself that there was no way that she had just heard her professor get himself off in the bath. Did he realise he had forgotten a silencing charm or did he do it on purpose? Maybe he knew what had really happened to her and this was his idea of therapy...she doubted it but was too shocked by this turn of events.

Thinking no more on this subject, she lay down on her bed and immediately fell asleep.

Hermione was dreaming, she was in a dungeon or somewhere similar, it was dark and she couldn't see very well. Ice cold fear pricked at her skin and then she was running, running so fast. From what? She didn't know, she just knew that she had to get as far away as she possibly could.

She turned a corner and a hand grabbed her and pulled her into the darkness. They were rough hands and all they did was cause pain wherever they touched. She felt panicked and slightly disgusted and then a head became visible and she was able to distinguish the facial features. She froze in horror.

Sirius Black, he had come to get her for another round.

She screamed and screamed and screamed as she knew her life depended on it. She yelled for help and begged for mercy.

"NO, PLEASE DON'T, STOP IT! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO" she screeched.

She felt like she was suffocating, like there was something holding her down and encasing her, she tried to fight and then her whole body shook as if an earthquake were happening. There were vibrations all through her body.

STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP!

Her eyes flew open and she immediately made eye contact with a pair of black eyes. Given her dream she felt the panic rising again. She could feel the sweat of her nightmare, in fact, she was soaked and all the anxiety was not helping, she began to feel dizzy.

She noticed that the person with the black eyes was trying to say something, their lips were moving but she couldn't hear anything but a high pitched ringing and then there was a hand on her shoulder trying to shake her out of her terror but physical contact was only making things worse.

She could feel herself losing the battle to keep the contents of her stomach and so she flung herself away from the eyes and the hand and threw up over the other side of the bed. She was vaguely aware that she has sobbing whilst she was heaving and trying her hardest not to scream and then she became aware of something else.

The hand had moved from her shoulder and was now rubbing her back in an up and down motion. She thought that it would have made her feel uneasy but she actually felt comforted by it in an odd way.

She eventually took some deep breaths in time with the hand on her back and was able to think and see clearly again.

She lay back on her bed, still breathing heavily and looked over and the person who belonged to the comforting hand.

Severus Snape had been startled out of his sleep by a female screaming. It was the 'I'm about to be murdered' type of scream. Sheer terror and fright. Without another pause he flew out of bed and grabbed his wand and held it in a defence stance as he entered the Granger girls room. What he saw made him pause.

She was having a night terror, a powerful one at that and he didn't know what to do. He acted on instinct and firstly tried to shout at the girl to see if he could stir her but it only got worse. She was trying to kick the covers off of her and Snape aided by moving them completely, she must have felt restricted by them and he hoped that he had helped, even if just slightly.

He watched in shock as the poor girl was in such a state of terror and distress, that she lost control of her bladder and wet herself in front of Snape's eyes. Snape promptly averted his gaze from her as if trying to give her some privacy and save some humiliation.

He knew he had to get her to wake up right now so he tried to violently shake the girl awake in hopes that she would snap out of whatever she was in.

The girl was covered in sweat and she was still screaming and crying and a few seconds later her eyes snapped open and found his. He was stunned by the fear that he saw in her eyes and knew that she wasn't completely out of it yet and looked like she was having a panic attack.

"Miss Granger can you hear me?" Snape asked.

Miss Granger can you understand me?" He asked a follow up question.

He tried to hold her steady by placing his hand firmly on her shoulder but that appeared to make things worse as she leaned over the other side of the bed and vomited.

Snape now at a loss knew that if she remained this distressed whilst being sick, there was a good chance she could choke so he did the only thing he could think to do. He placed his hand on her back and began rubbing what he hoped was soothing motions on her back.

This seemed to work and she eventually stopped and laid back on the bed whilst breathing heavily and then she looked towards him.

"Miss Granger?" Snape said softly, his voice laced with concern. She was still looking at him trying to get her brain and mouth to cooperate in order to form a sentence.

After a moment she just gave up and broke down into heart breaking sobs as she clung to the hand that had been on her back and belonged to her potions professor.

Snape just let her do what she needed to do and after a few minutes she went silent and looked directly at him.

"I had a nightmare sir, I apologise if I woke you" she looked down at her hands feeling guilty at being such a nuisance.

That's when she noticed how uncomfortable she was and realised to her horror that she had wet the bed in her distress and vomited in front of her professor. Not to mention that she was still covered in sweat and probably stank to high heaven. She brought her knees up to her chest and put her head on her knees.

Snape could see the embarrassment on her features and knew she understood what had happened in her distress. He quickly vanished the vomit and cast a cleansing and freshening charm on her and her bed and saw that she was now looking at him and shaking her head.

"Thank you sir but I can't -, I mean I'm going to have to take another shower. I just can't sleep feeling like this. I may be clean but I can still feel it all on me" she muttered looking down at her knees.

Severus understood and so he encouraged her to get off the bed and head towards the bathroom. He accioed a fresh pair of pyjamas and a towel and handed them to her.

"Thank you sir" she looked like she wanted to say something else but decided against it and just nodded and stepped towards her door.

Snape having attended to nightmares before knew that a female normally wanted to feel secure after a scare and so he took a leap of faith and hoped he didn't sound like too much of a pillock.

"Miss Granger, if you leave the bathroom door unlocked, I will wait outside for you to finish. If you need me you only have to ask" he said hoping that he had been right.

She was still looking down but she nodded and she looked back up at him he could see a small smile of thanks on her lips and he knew he was right about what she was too scared to ask.

As she showered Severus pondered over her night terror. He wasn't going to use legilimency on her because he knew that it could do more damage than good in these situations so he decided he would leave it up to the girl and trusted that when she was ready she would tell.

A short while later she exited the bathroom and was mildly surprised that he was still stood there. She had expected him to have grown impatient and gone back to bed by now.

As she thanked him and walked into her room, Snape followed, he wanted to ensure the girl was alright and would settle.

"Miss Granger...is there anything you would like to talk about?" Snape asked.

Hermione but her lip in contemplation, should she tell him? She quickly decided against it and shook her head.

She was feeling worn out from her nightmare and knew she would be falling asleep again soon.

"I apologise professor, I'm a bit embarrassed about-" Snape held up his hand and cut her off.

"Nonsense girl, you do not need to apologise for such things. After all I did say I would help clean up if anything were to happen in the night" he tried to joke.

"Did you just make a joke?" Hermione asked, the hint of a smile told her what she needed to know. Then she paused, she hated to ask him this but she had to know she didn't ever want to be reminded of what had happened here tonight.

"Sir? You won't bring this up again in class or as a way of-" she was cut off again.

"Never, Miss Granger, I would never...not with something like this anyway. You have my word" he pledged.

She smiled and yawned. Snape summoned a dreamless sleep potion and got her to take it and she fell back into an easy sleep.

Snape watched her for a few moments before heading to bed himself. As he left, he warded the girls room so he would know if anything else was amiss and stared at the ceiling as he lay in bed.

'What on earth could cause a reaction like that? Whatever it was he was going to help her when she needed it. Reputation be damned.' He thought to himself as he drifted back into a light sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Healing Lupin and Order Meetings**

Hermione was sat working on her summer project for Transfiguration and was trying the keep her mind busy. It was well past midday when she woke up today so had already lost working hours. She supposed she slept so long due to the potion that her professor had forced her to take the night before, she had been avoiding her professor and only left her room when it was absolutely necessary as she didn't want him to ask questions which she knew he would.

Of course he would ask questions, she had been screaming so loudly and alerted him in the first place, she had then thrown up everywhere and pissed herself. There was no way that she would be able to play that off as not a big deal, she just prayed she could avoid him long enough to come up with a decent excuse.

For a Monday, things were really boring. She no longer wanted to be at Grimmauld and she knew that Snape had placed wards on her room last night, she could sense it. The only problem now was that she wanted those wards to remain in place so that she would have some form of protection. However, she knew that asking him to put up wards again would raise suspicion and that was the last thing she wanted. No she needed to be clever about this and she knew she had to tell someone.

Telling her professor would be a huge mistake because he would just go after Sirius and then Sirius would know that Hermione had peached. She also knew that there was an Order meeting taking place here tomorrow night and decided that she would inform Dumbledore, he would be discreet and only reveal what was necessary and hopefully this would mean that Sirius wouldn't accuse her of telling. She just hoped Dumbledore would help her and then she could hopefully start getting over the incident and move on.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

Severus Snape had tossed and turned the rest of the previous night trying to figure out what the hell had been the matter with the Granger girl but had come up blank. He had no information to go on and not even screamed out verbally so he had nothing to help him and it was frustrating him. He was also getting frustrated that he cared enough to let it get to him. Snape knew he would have to be sneaky if he wanted answers or to gain information without the girl suspecting him of ulterior motives.

Luckily for Snape the wolf had returned this morning after going through his transformation and promptly collapsed through the front door. Lupin had been wounded and now needed rest to help recover. Snape knew that he could go to the girl and say that he needed help in attending to the wolf and hopefully her Gryffindor characteristics would shine and she would jump at the chance of helping a man who had been injured.

After helping the wolf get up to Lupin's bedroom, Snape approached Miss Granger's room and knocked on her door. A moment of silence and the light footsteps could be heard from the other side approaching the door.

The door opened "Professor?" the girl questioned.

"Well your eyesight is fine" Snape stated sarcastically, he then sighed thinking about his ulterior motive approach.

"Look, Lupin returned this morning and it looks like he's had a bad night whilst in his wolf form, he seems quite injured. I was wondering if I could ask for your assistance for the healing process as I will need you to fetch and pass me things" Snape carefully worded his request.

When Snape had mentioned that the wolf had been wounded, Hermione's face turned to one of shock and she immediately pushed everything else aside and focused on the fact that Remus had been hurt.

She liked Remus, he was a really good friend and he had helped her more times than she could count and now she could return the favour by helping him in his moment of need.

Hermione immediately responded to her professor's request in the affirmative and followed Snape as he led her to what she assumed was Remus' bedroom. Once she was through the threshold she caught a glimpse of her former defence professor and her friend.

He looked awful, he had cuts and scratches all over his body, he was pale and his breathing was shallow which suggested he had a punctured lung or some broken ribs. Snape immediately ordered Hermione in what she needed to do and like a good little soldier she followed her instructions.

After a couple of hours of complex healing spells, salves, potions and bandaging. Lupin had settled and now it was a case of letting his body rest until it was ready to function again.

Hermione found herself in a tense silence with her professor as they say by Lupin and ministered his progress. Hermione knew what was coming next and she was prepared for it.

"Miss Granger, last night-" Snape started, only this time it was his student that cut him off.

"With respect sir, I'm not ready to talk about it but when I do feel ready to talk, I will come and tell you just give me some time. I want to let you know I appreciate what you did to help me last night and I will forever be in your debt, you did more for me than you realise and I just wanted to thank you for that" Hermione said.

Snape was going to argue with her and demand that she tell him everything but he knew that would get him nowhere and could even push him back. So, even though he didn't like it, he relented and accepted what the girl had said and trusted that should she need help, she would come to him.

"Very well Miss Granger, as you wish" Snape responded and he let the subject drop.

Another hour of uncomfortable silence and Remus began to stir. His eyes shot open and he looked around frantically trying to piece together where he was and who he was with. He looked over and immediately saw Hermione and Snape looking at him, Hermione seemed concerned for him and Snape seemed bored of him.

"Thank you" Remus stated weakly. He may not like Snape that much but he was still appreciative of everything the sour man had done for him. Remus was especially happy to see Hermione and tried to hold a conversation with her.

He went to open his mouth but Hermione shook her head and refused to let him say a word.

"You've been hurt Remus, badly, you need rest. Here is some water, please drink it and then you must sleep more so that your body can heal" Hermione explained as she held the glass of water to Lupin's mouth so that he could drink. Once Lupin had drained the glass he looked at Hermione and nodded his thanks and let sleep take over once more.

Hermione let out a sigh of relief; she could relax now that she knew Remus was responsive and would be alright.

"Everything's alright now professor. So if you don't mind I will be leaving now" and without waiting for a response, Hermione walked out the room and decided to head down to the kitchen.

She realised she hadn't eaten all day and it was now fast approaching the evening and was time for dinner. As Hermione walked into the kitchen she took a look around the room and instantly froze.

There, sat at the table was Sirius Black. Hermione gulped nervously and tried to act calm and collected as she bustled around the kitchen and fixed herself something to eat. She felt Black's gaze on her the entire time and tried desperately to ignore it. She could feel her breathing become uneven as she slowly started to panic. Then she heard footsteps on the stairs and knew someone was coming and so forced herself to make it seem like there was nothing wrong. She began to hum a tune to herself and played nonchalant as Snape swept into the room.

"Miss Granger, do desist from making that infernal noise. It is highly irritating" Snape snapped at her. She immediately stopped and thanked Merlin that Snape had not noticed anything unusual as he had focused on her humming instead of the tension in the room.

"Sorry sir" she replied respectfully

"Can I get either of you something to eat as I am fixing something for myself anyway?" She asked politely.

"Not for me Hermione, I've already eaten tonight" Black responded before he excused himself from the kitchen and made his way to his study.

Hermione had fought back a wince when Black had addressed her and spoke her name but she didn't think she had given anything away and so she continued.

"Anything for you sir?" She queried.

Snape stated at her for a moment more before responding "what are you having Miss Granger?" He asked.

"I was thinking New Potatoes with some salad and perhaps some chicken" she stated.

"That would be acceptable if you don't mind. If you can manage to do it without burning the place down. Although, would that really be a bad thing?" Snape said.

Hermione held back a laugh at his joke and then responded "don't worry professor I know my way around a kitchen and I can most definitely cook" she said proudly.

"We'll Miss Granger you can do more than I can. I wouldn't even know where to begin in this room" he confided.

Hermione stared at him in shock at the implication of what he had just told her.

"Are you telling me sir that you haven't had a proper meal in over a week because you are too proud to ask and so would rather starve?" She gasped.

Snape raised an eyebrow "not that it's any of your business Granger, you are not my babysitter. I had the house elf get my meals for me but that elf is not he best of cooks. Need I remind you to watch the time you take with me?" He warned.

Hermione instantly turned and went back to cooking and it took about thirty minutes to make the meal and she presented it to Snape who was sat, waiting patiently, at the kitchen table.

They are in silence, which Hermione took as a good thing because it meant Snape could find nothing to critique at and she ate her meal in smug satisfaction that she had probably surprised her professor of her cooking abilities.

"That was satisfactory Miss Granger, thank you" Snape stated civilly once they had both finished eating.

"You're welcome sir, would you like me to cook for you again? You only need to ask, I don't mind and it gives me something to do in this boring place" she grinned.

"That would be appreciated Miss Granger but only if it does not cause any more hassle for you than is necessary" Snape replied.

Once again he thanked her and headed towards the library.

Hermione was left with her thoughts once more and couldn't believe that she had just had her first, truly civilised, conversation with her potions professor. She hoped there would be many more conversations like that, he seemed almost nice and at least he could hold an intellectual conversation instead of talking of all things that consisted of Quidditch and Chess.

She quickly washed up and put everything away before heading back up to her room. She had a few hours before she would settle to bed and so she worked on her projects until she decided to get some sleep. She knew tomorrow would be emotionally exhausting for her when she spoke to Dumbledore and would need all the rest she could get.

Tuesday afternoon saw a busy Grimmauld Place as all the Order members were moving around preparing for the Order meeting.

She was so glad to have a bit of female company for once and greeted Molly and Tonks with such excitement that both women had been caught completely off guard. Still they conversed with her and she found out how the Weasley's were. Harry was still pissed off and jealous of her spending the summer here and so Ron and Ginny had quickly taken his side and none of them would write to her. So she knew nothing of the outside world at the moment so it was good to get a bit of gossip from the women.

"So how have you been Hermione?" Tonks asked.

"Bet there's so much testosterone going on that you can barely breathe" Tonks suggested with the cheesiest grin.

"Oh hush, we don't want our young and underage Hermione to be getting any ideas or learning anything nasty from you" Molly warned Tonks.

Molly Weasley may have been a woman who liked to talk about sex and discuss dishy men. But she was also a mother to children older than Hermione. This meant that maternal instinct came first and she would mother Hermione first.

"Don't worry Molly, I'm always the one bullying the boys into doing things my way" Hermione grinned hoping to appease the Weasley matriarch.

"That's my girl" Molly encouraged.

Eventually the meeting was called and Hermione was sent away from the room. She decided to go and wait in the library as it was next to the kitchen and she would see the Order members leaving. She waited patiently as the meeting commenced.

Snape was sat completely bored, as usual when it came to one of these meetings, and pretended like he was focusing on what was being said but instead spaced out.

"Tom plans to break his old loyal death eaters out of Azkaban-" Dumbledore was relaying the information Snape had obtained from the death eater meeting.

"Unfortunately as we don't know when or how this will happen we just have to remain vigilant for the time being" Dumbledore state and paused waiting for the predictable uproar.

"Bollocks!" Moody exclaimed.

"If the dungeon bag here was as good of a spy as you make him out to be, he would surely have more information" Moody spat, looking viciously at Snape.

"Alastor, my faith remains with Severus" Dumbledore implored.

Alastor gritted his teeth and held his tongue. Merlin, he wished he could tear shreds off Snape and really show him what an Auror could do.

There was not much more to be discussed and so the Order members slowly disbanded. Sirius, Remus and Tonks headed towards Sirius' study as he wanted to show them what research he had been doing. Everyone else left except Snape, Dumbledore, Arthur and Molly, who was preparing some food for the four current full time occupants of Grimmauld Place.

Arthur noticed Miss Granger was timidly stood in the doorway and announced her presence to the room hoping that Snape and Dumbledore were not still discussing order business.

"Hermione! Good to see you girl! I managed to obtain a bidet the other day, a marvellous invention is it not?" Arthur exclaimed proudly of his new muggle find.

Hermione laughed, she adored Mr Weasley, he was always bound to cheer her up when she was feeling a bit down.

Snape and Dumbledore now had their attention focused on her and Dumbledore spoke up.

"Good to see you Miss Granger! How is Grimmauld Place? I trust you have settled in well by now?" Dumbledore said politely.

Hermione just nodded and tried not to look nervous.

"Headmaster, I was just wondering if I may beg audience with you for a few moments if you are not busy?" She asked shyly.

Snape looked confused at the girl and wondered what information the girl had for the headmaster that Snape was unaware of. The Weasley's just smiled at her reassuringly and encouraged her as a parent would encourage a child and Dumbledore nodded.

"Why of course dear girl! Shall we move to the library for privacy?" He asked rhetorically, already headed for the library itself.

Once inside, he locked and warded the doors, silenced the room and safeguarded it too.

"This room is sound Miss Granger, no one will ever hear or know of what will be discussed in here" Dumbledore informed her.

"However, I have a inquiry myself dear. Have you spoken to Mr Potter at all since you have been moved here?" he asked politely.

Hermione shook her head "no sir, Harry is still a little bitter about the situation but I'm sure he will come round" she answered.

Dumbledore nodded "of course, I'm sure he will. Miss Granger I ask one favour of you, just one. That you will not send any letters to Harry at all for the rest of the summer or try to inform him of any events that are happening in the wizarding world. I just want him to be kept out of matters he needs not to worry over at the current time" Dumbledore asked.

Hermione agreed, it sounded fair. She had been reading the daily prophet and what it had to say on the topic of Voldemort returning after all. Harry didn't need to worry where it didn't concern him; it would just cause him unnecessary stress.

"Now what is it you needed to talk to me about Miss Granger?" He questioned.

Hermione hesitated for a moment before she decided to bite the bullet and just say it.

"I've been sexually assaulted headmaster and I don't know what to do" she whispered, defeated.

Dumbledore stared at her for a moment in shock. He couldn't believe what he had just heard and knew he had to approach this new development with caution.

"Who was it Miss Granger, when and where?" He asked her gently.

"It was Sirius Black sir, he was drunk and he came into my room on Saturday night and he threatened me to not tell anyone. Told me I would be sorry if I did" Hermione said through fresh tears. She was relieved that she had finally told someone and could get help.

The headmaster looked thoughtful for a moment before he voiced his reply.

"This unfortunately causes us a big problem Miss Granger and you are not going to like it" he said almost regrettably.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Just a note to say thank you very much to everyone who has been viewing and reviewing this story. I had one comment that said I needed to be a bit more direct with the warnings that I give for the more distressing chapters. I apologise if previous chapters have not had enough warning and I will ensure that any future chapters will have more warning about the nature of its content. This story is about rape and the recovery of a rape victim so there will be discussion of the subject and potential triggers throughout this whole story.** **I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all the support you have been giving me on this story. I'm glad you are enjoying this fanfic. I wonder what will happen between Hermione and Dumbledore.** **I also apologise for all the typos and grammar mistakes (stupid autocorrect), I've just read through what has been posted so far and I was appalled by my own proof reading! I promise to do better on that, I pride myself on my spelling and punctuation. Once again, thank you for your support! xxx (I** **also** **posted this comment in the review section for those who have been reviewing but I wanted to let all those, who view this story, know that I appreciate you all taking the time to read this fanfic).**

 **A/N: WARNING - This chapter contains discussion of rape and could be a trigger.**

 **Telling Dumbledore**

Hermione frowned "I don't follow sir" she whispered confused at the situation.

"Miss Granger, have you informed anyone else about any of this, besides myself?" he asked.

"No sir" she confirmed.

"You're sure?" He asked

"Yes sir" she said nodding

"I'm afraid, Miss Granger, that there is not much that I can do, given the circumstances" he said carefully.

Hermione looked at him, tears forming and the hope in her eyes diminishing.

"Circumstances sir?" She questioned weakly.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued "Yes, Sirius has so kindly given us his only home to use as a safe house and as a headquarters for the Order. He is also still a wanted man after his Azkaban escape and more importantly, he is godfather and a role model for Harry. If one of the last remaining ties to Harry's family were to be taken away from him, it may distract him from the future tasks and difficulties that he will face" Dumbledore explained.

"You're not going to do anything because Harry needs his support?" She asked, trying to comprehend what was being said to her.

She wasn't going to get help, nor was she allowed to tell anybody and it was all because Harry would not be able to cope without his godfather, her rapist.

The term 'The Greater Good' rang through her mind and she suddenly lost all respect for Dumbledore. So her rapist was not going to be punished because it would upset Dumbledore's 'Golden Boy'. Hermione felt humiliated once again and just wanted to leave so she could cry out her pain. Dumbledore hadn't even offered her medical treatment and instead made sure she kept quiet. She looked down at her feet.

"I regret to inform you Miss Granger but Mr Potter needs all the support he can get" Dumbledore stated.

"And what about the support I need" she whispered through her tears.

Dumbledore just stared at her and shook his head at her.

She was in despair and she made her move towards the door. She just wanted to be alone now.

"Can you promise me Miss Granger that you won't tell anyone else about what happened? I can't get you to take a wand oath because of underage magic but can I have your word?" he asked as he dropped all then spells and enchantments that he had placed around the room.

She just turned to look at him with tears in her eyes, a sad expression on her face and body gave off a defeated stance and she left the library closing the door behind her.

Once she assessed that the hallway and the kitchen were clear, she ran as fast as she could to her room. She closed the door behind her and flung herself on the bed and sobbed herself to sleep.

Severus Snape was talking with Arthur Weasley who had expressed to him that Lucius Malfoy had recently been found continually in the department of mysteries.

Snape found this strange as Malfoy worked on the other side of the ministry. What business did Lucius Malfoy have skulking around that department? Snape couldn't just shake it off as a coincidence, not with how things had been recently, and he vowed to find out.

He walked towards the library and saw the back of Miss Granger as she disappeared up the stairs and a worried looking Dumbledore stood in the doorway of the library. Snape raised his eyebrow in question as if to ask what the girl had wanted to say but Dumbledore just held up his hand and shook his head in response.

"I must retire for the night Severus, I'm not as young as I once was" and with that, Dumbledore was gone. Snape hated not knowing what was going on and being kept out of the loop. Whatever it was must have been bad if it had worried the headmaster like that. Severus sighed and threw himself into more research, this time anything he could find on the department of mysteries, which he knew would be limited.

Severus sat researching for hours and only came up with a few books on the ministry as a whole and decided he would take them to his room so he could read them at his own leisure.

'Another dead end, no doubt' he thought to himself as he headed to his room.

He heard her screams before he had reached the top of the stairs and immediately sprinted into action and flung his student's bedroom door open so hard he was surprised the door didn't break from its hinges. He quickly slammed the door shut and went over to the distressed girl.

'Not again' he thought to himself.

This time he was not going to be as gentle, he was going to shake her out of this night terror as quickly as he could.

The girl was still screaming and she was sobbing.

"HELP ME! HELP ME!" She screamed.

Severus was startled but was able to quickly jolt the girl awake and it seemed this time she was fully coherent when she opened her eyes.

She paused for a second to recollect where she was and then she turned to Snape. To his surprise she flung herself at him, seeking comfort from the person she knew could offer it, and began sobbing once more.

"Miss Granger, Miss Granger, hush now witch, you're ok" Snape said gently as if she were a small child. He had no idea where this caring thing had come from and couldn't believe he was comforting the Granger girl again in less than three days.

They sat like that for a few minutes before Hermione let go of him and looked rather embarrassed by her actions. Snape didn't miss a beat.

"That's it Miss Granger, no more sidestepping. What the devil is going on? He questioned her.

She sniffed and for a moment Snape thought she was going to start crying again. But then she looked at him and he knew she was going to tell her what he had wanted to know.

"Um, S-Saturday night when you and Sirius w-were on the landing arguing and I was in just my t-towel. After you had taken S-Sirius back downstairs and left him he came b-back up" she began her story.

Snape didn't like where this was heading, he knew that the mutt was capable of despicable things but he didn't want to believe that the mutt was low enough to sink to such a thing as -

"W-when he came back up, he came into my room and h-he, h-he, hurt me" she whispered.

Snape swore under his breath "how did he hurt you? What did he do to you?" she had to say it, the first step of healing would be to get her to admit it out loud as well as to herself what had happened.

"He r-raped me" she sobbed violently.

"I told him n-no over and over again, I b-begged and pleaded but he d-did it anyway and I couldn't fight him. H-he threatened me and t-told me not to tell anyone" she got out between the sobs.

Snape was murderous, not just at Black but also at himself. How the hell had this gone on right under his nose.

'Some spy' he thought to himself in disgust as he remembered that was the night he had fallen asleep in the library.

'Poor girl' he thought wondering if he should provide comfort again but decided against it given what she had just told him.

"Is this what you told the headmaster earlier?" He questioned gently.

Hermione tensed and nodded "he said he wasn't going to do anything because it would distract Harry if his godfather was not with him. 'The greater good'." She muttered.

Snape was furious.

'NOTHING? NOTHING? NOTHING!'

The girl needed support and help not to be forced to keep everything quiet and locked away until she lost her sanity in her night terrors.

"Miss Granger, have you been checked over for any injuries or had anyone take a look at you for any damage that may have occurred?" Snape asked.

Hermione shook her head "no sir, however, I-I admit that I may have taken one of your pain relief potions and healing salves from the bathroom. I'm sorry sir, I didn't really know what else to do. I was terrified."

Snape nodded thoughtfully, she needed medical attention. There was no way he was leaving this any longer.

"In the morning Miss Granger, we will go to a nearby muggle hospital, you must get checked over, there may be more damage than you realise" he said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

Hermione just nodded accepting that arguing with the man would be pointless.

"Will you be ok for tonight Miss Granger, is there anything I can do for you?" He asked.

Hermione hesitated for a moment. Snape knew she wanted to ask something but knew she was afraid to ask.

"Yes?" he encouraged.

"Could you perhaps...the wards you placed on my room the other night...could you do it again?" she asked and then began to chew on her lip.

Snape immediately cast the spells needed and he looked at her rather sympathetically. He had made a silent promise to the girl that he would help and support her in any way that he could and hoped he would be able to help her get over the incident. He refused to let the brightest mind he knew go to waste because some dog decided to claim her. He then thought of something else and paused for a moment before speaking.

"Miss Granger, I hate to ask but that night...were you a virgin?" he asked trying not to cringe.

She nodded slowly and then she was lost in her own mind, remembering that night and how it would be burned into her memories as her first time, her introduction to sex, how painful and traumatic the experience was and how she never wanted to do it again.

Snape was watching her and guessed her line of thinking. He was really not qualified to handle this and definitely no better at giving advice for it but she needed someone.

"Miss Granger, I hope you know that sex is not meant to be like that. It's meant to be something beautiful and something that makes you feel complete bliss. What you have experienced is not sex, at least not in the way it's meant to be done, it should be gentle and slow and full of love not some painful, degrading process. Do you understand?" He hoped he didn't sound like too much like a pansy but he needed to make it clear to the girl that sex is not something she should be afraid of and that it should never have been like that.

"Yes sir" she said.

"Good, will you sleep alright now if I leave? We will leave early tomorrow and get you examined as that is most important. If you could get up for about eight, if there is no indication that you are awake I will come in and get you up myself" he said in a matter of fact tone.

She just nodded again, already looking sleepy again.

"If you need me just knock on my door, don't be afraid, I won't be angry. Goodnight Miss Granger" he said and he left the room. He looked back on the girl to see that she had already drifted off.

Snape went into his room and closed the door. He cast the strongest silencing charm he could and then he let out his rage.

He was angry, so angry and he couldn't help but let his anger out. If he didn't do it this way, he would go and kill the mutt himself.

Severus threw things, smashed things, broke things, tore things and kicked things. After he was done his room looked as if a hurricane had swept through the room. There was splintered wood everywhere; smashed glass, broken books and he couldn't have helped it if he had tried.

He sat on the floor, his back against the wall and his head in his hands. He was breathing quickly and deeply, trying to get a handle on his emotions and trying to calm down.

Without any warning he burst into tears. He cried for the girls lost innocence, he cried for his failure as a teacher and someone whose primary responsibility was to protect his ward. He shed tears for the unfairness of the world. He had no idea how long he sat there but eventually recovered and regained control. He even felt slightly embarrassed that he had sat and cried like a girl and set about repairing all the damage he had done to the room.

He felt emotionally refreshed and exhausted at the same time and after a while he got into bed. He had to be up early in the morning after all.

Hermione awoke to her bedroom door being thrown open and immediately panicked. It scared her so badly that she flung herself off her bed and onto the floor and then proceeded to try and get under it to hide.

"I apologise Miss Granger, I had no intention of scaring you like that, I just came to wake you, it's just gone eight" she heard the voice of her professor and immediately relaxed.

She climbed out from the bed and stood up looking rather sheepish about her display.

Snape smirked at her "and you hide under the bed?" he said trying not to laugh.

She started laughing at her actions and couldn't stop. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like laughing this hard, let alone actually laughing like this.

Snape grinned at her, at least she was laughing. But he had to focus, today was going to be an intense day and he wanted her to be relaxed but he also needed her to focus.

"We leave in an hour" he said and left the room.

Once they were both ready they left the house and headed towards the nearest hospital.

Hermione was so glad to get out of the house for a while even if it was to go and do something rather unpleasant but at least she was away from that place. It felt odd to be going on an outing with Snape and she wondered how he was in a social setting. She was about to find out.

When they reached the hospital, they went to the reception desk where her professor used some subtle confundus charms in order to get an appointment within fifteen minutes of waiting.

'This is why I love magic' Hermione thought.

A few minutes later and Hermione was called by a nurse and made a move to follow her into a corridor of rooms.

"One moment dear, is that your guardian over there?" she asked pointing to Snape who was looking at the two women wondering why they were talking about him.

Hermione nodded at the nurses question and the nurse raised her hand and made a 'come here' gesture with her finger at Snape.

Snape, surprised, followed the woman towards the room which she had been leading his student to. Both Snape and Hermione were confused as to why they were both being ushered into the room.

The nurse explained as she began getting the instruments ready and putting on gloves "she's under age and needs to have a parent or guardian present for an invasive exam such as this" she said.

The pair froze and the atmosphere immediately turned uncomfortable. Hermione looked at Snape for any indication on how to proceed.

The nurse closed the partition, around the bed, and then she asked Hermione to go and strip waist down and get onto the bed ready for her examination.

Once Hermione was ready she told the nurse and the examination began.

Snape was sat on the other side of the partition whilst the exam was being conducted and he was listening in on the conversation that was taking place between the nurse and Miss Granger as questions were asked and answered.

"Right dear you will need to have some stitches as you have some tearing in there, I will do this now as it won't take too long. These stitches will dissolve on their own once the wound has sealed. You might have some scar tissue after but it will not affect or harm you in any way" the nurse explained clinically.

Snape grimaced, how had she not said anything? How had he not notice anything? The girl must have been in agony, she should have said something. He knew he wasn't the most approachable person but surely something like this would override that.

Once the exam had finished and Hermione was dressed she came out from behind the curtains and was asked to sit next to Snape at the desk so she could have a consultation.

"You have some bruising but there is nothing I can do about that, it will heal naturally on its own and the stitches that you have had will dissolve once the wound has healed. Now while the stitches heal, it shouldn't take any longer than a week, don't do any exercise that involves tightening your pelvic and cervical muscles such as sit ups, lunges, that sort of thing. But casual walking is ok, light jogging is fine and you can carry on as you normally would ok?" The nurse told her.

Hermione thanked the nurse for her help and then she was discharged, she and her potions professor left the hospital.

"Miss Granger, I want to apologise, I had no idea that it was this bad" Snape said apologetically.

"It's ok, I didn't want anyone to know, I would have said something otherwise" she reassured.

Snape regarded her for a moment and nodded.

"I suppose we are going to be heading back now" Hermione said, starting to walk in the direction of the apparition point.

Snape grabbed her arm and begin pulling her in the opposite direction.

"Actually Miss Granger, I thought we could go and do something else" he said mysteriously.

Hermione looked at him before letting him drag her off in the direction of central London.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you so much for all your encouragement and your support! McGonagall will eventually come into the story but not just yet. :)**

 **Warning: Bad language and discussion of sensitive topics!**

 **London and Fights with Friends**

"Where are we going sir?" Hermione asked wondering where he was taking her.

Snape said nothing but Hermione was surprised when they reached a train station and Snape purchased two tickets and made her get on the train headed to Waterloo.

Then he floored her when he said "Where to first Miss Granger? I'm thinking London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Tower of London and then somewhere to get something to eat" he looked at her smirking at her shocked reaction and waited for her response.

Truthfully, Snape wanted to get the Granger girl away from the house today. She had been stuck there for over a week and she needed to get out, as did he. He figured they were in London already so why not?

"Are you sure you're professor Snape" she asked breathlessly.

His smirk only widened and she only paled even more when she realised he wasn't joking and it was her greasy git of a potions professor taking her on a sightseeing day out. Hell had officially frozen over and pigs had begun to fly.

The train reached Waterloo and they headed off in the direction of their first stop and got on the London Eye. Just looking across the city and seeing what it had to offer was amazing. After all that had happened recently, Hermione finally felt tranquillity at the top of the London Eye with professor Snape, who she automatically felt safe with. She put it down to his reputation and mad wizard skills and maybe for such a silent man, he held such power and ferocity and-

Hermione looked at her professor and noticed the slightly green hue adorning his face and gaped like a fish. Was professor Snape, Hogwarts most feared teacher, suffering from motion sickness from being on the London Eye? Hermione tried not to chuckle as she knew it would annoy him but her professor had seen her trying to disguise it and glared at her. He threw her a look that said 'mention this to anyone ever again and you die'. Hermione promptly pulled herself together.

After they got off the London Eye and Snape was back to normal they continued with their tour of London. Then they reached Trafalgar Square and Hermione was in her element loving the busy city life. She stared in awe at Nelsons Column, she had only ever seen the statue in pictures and magazines but seeing the real thing just brought everything to life.

Snape looked in the direction that Hermione's wide eyes were staring at.

"Ah, Nelsons Column, did you know Miss Granger that if Hitler had won the war then he was going to take Nelsons Column as a trophy, a spoil of war as it were?" Snape said.

Hermione stared "excuse me for being rude but you know about muggle history?" She asked.

"I am a half-blood Miss Granger, I even went to primary school before I got my Hogwarts letter" Snape informed her. He couldn't believe he was easily telling her all of this personal information.

"Really?" Hermione asked shocked at this new revelation. Snape nodded in confirmation.

Wow. Hermione was mind-blown and from that moment, Snape wanted to educate with other facts and little bits of information that he had learned when he was a mere boy.

He pointed towards the four bronze lions "did you also know that it is common folklore that if Big Ben were to ever chime thirteen times then it is believed that these lions come to life" Snape informed her.

Hermione laughed, dare she say it this was actually fun and she was learning some cool new things that she had never known before.

They then headed towards the Tower of London and had a look around. Snape seemed most excited about this part; he almost walked with a spring in his step.

Hermione couldn't help but think that of course this would be the most favoured part of the tour by her surly potions professor. As they were leaving he pointed to the mass of Ravens that were about the place.

"If the Ravens ever leave or all fly away from The Tower, it symbolises the fall of the monarchy and England itself" he told her.

"Let's hope they never want to leave then" Hermione said half-jokingly and half worriedly. She didn't necessarily believe in myths but with the way of the world these days, anything was possible and it would be the cherry on the cake for it to happen as a coincidence.

"Come Miss Granger, let's eat" Snape suggested. They headed off and got on another tube to Liverpool Street station where Snape then led her to a little fish and chip shop and asked what she wanted to eat.

Again he stunned his young student as she expected him to want to go and eat in a restaurant or somewhere classy. Instead, much to her approval, he deliberated on a simple meal of fish and chips, her favourite. He brought the food back to their table and she gave him the money for hers and he immediately declined and refused to let her pay.

'A gentleman as well' Hermione thought to herself whilst grinning from ear to ear. She felt so elated, she hadn't been this happy in ages.

Snape had surprised her today and as they headed back for the train station that would take them back to Grimmauld Place, he could safely say he had also surprised himself.

It was now getting into the evening and when they got off the train the streets were still busy with shoppers.

"Is there anything you need to purchase whilst we are here Miss Granger?" Snape asked her.

She thought for a moment and then nodded, there were a few things she could do with stocking up on. She went into a shopping centre and apologised to her professor that she was going to be a bit girly for a few minutes while she grabbed her necessities.

Snape went from confused to completely embarrassed when she quickly had to pick out new underwear and bras, deodorants, feminine products, tights, shoes and other bits and pieces she would need when it came to going back to school. She also picked out some creature comforts and her guilty pleasures such as lots of chocolate (enough to feed at least an army), other sugary snacks and comfort foods.

'Miss Granger really likes her junk food' Snape thought surprised. He didn't expect that of the little bookworm, especially knowing that her parents were dentists, but if he was being honest, she was much too thin and did need to put a bit of meat back on her bones.

Snape had also secretly grabbed what items he needed and the pair went off to pay. Once they had both separately made their purchases, they headed back to the safe apparition point in order to get back to the safe house. With a crack, they were back and although the gloomy house held haunting memories, she was still happy about the amazing day out she had enjoyed.

"Sir, I wanted to thank you for everything that you have done for me today. I had a lovely day out, I really needed it and I also wanted to thank you for just being supportive and for helping me" she said appreciatively.

Snape smiled a rare smile, one he hadn't used in years and he felt is cold, icy heart thaw slightly. Miss Granger was a sweet girl after all and had much to recommend her.

"Miss Granger there is no need to thank me; I shall always help you if you require it. You are a wonderful young lady and it is unfair how Dumbledore has handled this whole situation. If you are to need anything in the future, be it here or at school, you only need to ask and I promise to help you as much as I can" he promised her.

Hermione's eyes welled with tears, she had never known such kindness from this man and she knew she was right with her earlier thoughts that there was something more to the man.

"Sir you don't know how much that means to me. Thank you for doing all this" she said sincerely and she impulsively launched at him and wrapped her arms around him hugging him.

Snape froze and awkwardly patted her back, feeling slightly uncomfortable as he was not used to this treatment or any sort of positive behaviour being directed at him. That was actually a rather depressing thought.

"Very well Miss Granger, you look like you need a rest, the day must have been taxing for you. Take your shopping and go and relax for a while. I'm going to do some reading in the library before taking my bags up and going to bed" he said, not quite sure why he was explaining himself to her.

"Ok sir" she smiled at him. Snape nodded in return and she retreated upstairs to her room with her bags.

Snape sighed, he was becoming far too familiar with the girl but he couldn't help it. He saw what had happened to his mother when she didn't get the help she needed and he would be damned if he watched the same thing happen to Miss Granger.

He found he had lost the concentration for the library tonight and so he also went to his room. As he was unpacking his bags of essentials he came across a wrapped package that he definitely didn't purchase.

Attached to the package was a label that said 'thank you' and he opened the package and found a selection of his favourite chocolates. He mentally thanked the girl's kind heart but she didn't have to get him anything.

He couldn't remember the last time he had received a gift just out of pure kindness and not because it was an occasion like Christmas or birthdays, not like anyone ever got him anything then either, Severus got lost in his thoughts once more.

He decided to go down to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea.

"What business do you have with Hermione, Severus?" Lupin asked him with a tone of warning as Snape walked into the kitchen.

Snape sighed, could he never just have a moment of peace? Wherever he went, drama always had to follow.

"Nothing untoward like you are implying Lupin I can assure you" Severus stated tired of this now. All he wanted was a damn cup of tea.

"Just don't hurt her, she is my friend, and I will hunt you down if you harm a hair on her head" Lupin warned.

Snape scoffed and thought 'maybe you should be keeping a closer eye on your friends instead of your enemies'. Sirius Black had done more damage to the girl in an hour than Severus ever would and even then Severus would never act upon them. To hurt a woman like that was the lowest crime a man could commit.

"I never would Lupin, remember that, I never would" Snape said darkly.

Lupin was confused, why was Snape phrasing it like that and why was he saying it in that tone? He couldn't help but wonder what Severus knew that he clearly didn't. The look Snape was giving him was making Lupin feel a little uncomfortable so he went back to reading the Daily Prophet and the matter was dropped.

"Have you heard the good news Severus? Nymphadora, Sirius and I were discussing this after the last meeting. Dumbledore has given permission for the Weasley family and Harry to come and stay here for the last week of the summer holidays, so they will be arriving on Saturday". Lupin said smiling, excited at the prospect of seeing his best friend's son again.

"Are you stupid Lupin or do you just act that way? In what way do you think that by having the Weasley's and Saint Potter here, disturbing my peace, would make me happy?" Snape sneered, Merlin this was a mess. Now he would have to deal with a group of noisy children for a whole week before he actually needed to. Snape's good mood was plummeting fast and he decided he needed something stronger than tea.

"You know, if you were less grumpy and actually tried to be nice, you would probably find that life would be more relaxing for you and you never know but you might actually grow to like the kids" Lupin suggested.

Snape just glared at Lupin and looked like he wanted to throw up over what he had just said.

"No? Well, you're going to have a good week then aren't you? Let Hermione know about the arrival of her friends if you see her" Lupin snapped and with that he stormed out of the kitchen.

Snape gritted his teeth, why did the children have to come here? It was going to be so noisy. Snape decided he would seek solitary confinement in his room for the week and only leave to use the bathroom and for any meetings.

Snape downed his scotch and then headed to his room, wishing that Saturday would never come.

Hermione was just coming out of the bathroom after having a shower when she saw her professor stomping up the stairs angrily and making his way to his bedroom. Hermione looked at him questioningly, what on earth could have happened in the last hour to change his mood so dramatically?

Snape stopped when he saw her and he couldn't help but lighten up at her smile a little bit. Gods! He was turning into a girl!

"Miss Granger, you will be pleased to know that come Saturday your little friends will be joining us here for the last week of the holidays before school starts" Snape told her.

"What, Harry and Ron?" She asked.

"Mr Potter and the whole Weasley clan, Miss Granger" Snape confirmed and Hermione frowned.

Snape was surprised to see her smile fall at this information. He had expected her to bouncing on the walls like a child who has had far too much sugar.

"Is that a problem, Miss Granger?" he asked.

Hermione chewed her bottom lip "they don't really like me at the moment. Harry, Ron and Ginny. Harry was angry at me and jealous that I got to be here for the summer and he wasn't allowed, Ron and Ginny naturally took his side and so they've snubbed all of my letters all summer. With everything that's happened, I can't tell them what's been going on or they will just hate me even more. Sir, do they absolutely have to come? I don't mean to sound rude but, do they?" she looked at him pleadingly, like he had control over the situation at hand.

"Unfortunately, I have no control over the matter. Believe me, if I did then they would be kept as far away from me as possible" Snape told her.

Hermione laughed at that but still looked upset.

"I'm really going to miss the calm and the silence" she admitted.

"Agreed" Snape responded.

"Don't dwell on it too much, we still have two days of peace, enjoy them while you can" he told her.

She nodded and turned to head for her room before he called out to her once more.

"Miss Granger, thank you for the chocolates" he said sincerely.

Hermione beamed at him "you are most welcome sir and it is I who should be expressing my thanks to you after everything you've done" she said.

"Nonsense, Miss Granger. What type of man would I be if I hadn't stepped in?" He asked her and then he was gone and she went into her room and settled down to sleep.

Saturday morning came quicker than she could have anticipated and she was almost sad when she heard the arrival of the Weasley's and Harry downstairs.

"Hermione, come and say hello" Lupin hollered from the bottom of the stairs.

Hermione begrudgingly left her room and went downstairs. She was immediately overcome by the busyness of the downstairs hallway and was almost frightened when she realised all the males that we're going to be roaming the house for the next week.

She was ferociously hugged by Fred and George.

"Good to see you Mione" they said picking her up.

She tried not to cringe at their touch and tried to relax and not seem so tense. She caught Sirius watching her from the corner of her eye and she immediately kept her act together after remembering his threats.

"Good to see you boys too" she said cheerfully giving them a very convincing smile.

"I may vomit at the display" remarked a voice behind her.

She turned and saw her potions professor halfway down the stairs. He was staring at her. The twins, Harry, Ron and Ginny glared at him while Hermione tried not to grin at him and failed miserably.

She quickly snapped out of it when the focus shifted back to her.

"Have you enjoyed your summer here then Hermione? In my godfathers home? Without me? I bet you've loved all the attention you've gained from Remus and Sirius and being able to have 'grown up' conversations with them" Harry snubbed her and crossed his arms like a child about to throw a tantrum.

The atmosphere immediately turned awkward and Hermione bit her lip, she didn't know what to say.

Harry, Ron and Ginny were looking at her, daring her to challenge what Harry had just said. The Weasley parents and the twins looked at her worriedly. Lupin looked shocked at Harry's tone of voice and Snape looked bored but was inwardly concerned for the girl.

"Perhaps I should show you to your rooms and then we can have a catch up in my study, Harry" Sirius suggested.

Everyone quickly agreed, trying to break the tension and followed Sirius up the stairs. Harry and Ron would be sharing a room on the second floor and the rest of the Weasley's would be on the third floor.

Hermione was stood awkwardly in the hallway with Lupin and Snape. Lupin was still staring at her worriedly.

"Are you ok Hermione, what Harry said-" he was cut off.

"Look Remus, Harry has been pissed off at me since he learned that I would be staying here because he wasn't allowed to and I was. In my opinion, he needs to grow up and stop acting like a child or he will be in for a big surprise when the real world hits him firmly in the face. Honestly, I expected that reaction from him and Ron and Ginny and to be honest Remus, I don't give a fuck" she sneered, using what she had learned from Snape over the last few days.

Remus was stunned by her expression and her use of bad language. Meanwhile, Snape actually applauded her from his place on the stairs.

Remus glared at Snape for his encouragement and went to follow the others upstairs.

"You should give Harry a break, Hermione, he's going through an awful lot and needs all the support he can get" Lupin said shaking his head disappointingly at her.

"And what about the support I need Remus?" She whispered back.

"Maybe you need to grow up Hermione. In the real world, there is no time to ask for support because chances are you won't get it. Just leave Harry alone, alright Hermione?" Remus snarled at her as he disappeared up the stairs.

Hermione, felt numb and she didn't realise that her legs had given way and that she was falling towards the ground until Snape caught her and held her upright.

"He was out of order with his remarks, Miss Granger" Snape whispered, his voice strained.

Hermione, tried to stop the tears but they just started coming and by then she didn't want to stop them.

Snape took her into a more private room downstairs and silenced the door. She had finally snapped and she cried for everything that had happened.

She cried for her parents being taken away, for having to live in an unfamiliar and creepy place, for the loss of her innocence, for the abandonment of her friends, for the remarks of Remus, for the threats of Sirius and finally, for the kindness of Severus Snape.

She clung to him as she wept what she had kept bottled up and hidden from even herself for weeks and now finally the damn had fractured and she had burst. He held her as she cried and tried to be as gentle and as comforting as he knew how to be and couldn't help but think.

'Finally' he thought.

'She needed this; she has been handling everything far too well, far too calmly. She needed to crack, she needed this' he thought to himself as he looked down at the broken girl still weeping in his arms.

'What are you doing to me girl?' he thought to himself.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews, they are really helpful and have given me a few ideas on where this story is heading next :). I have already written the first 14 chapters of this story but I like to update every 6 days so that it prolongs the story itself and it also gives chance for me to take on board all of your comments and add/change things if I think of something new. I had a lot of comments about how emotional this story is and I just want to thank you for all your continued support, you are all amazing!**

 **A/N: Warning: This chapter contains some bad language and indirect comments about sex**

 **Tea with Snape and a Talk with the Twins**

Hermione had stopped crying and was looking around emotionless and wondering what to next. She heard the sound of footfalls coming down the stairs and realised that she must've been sat in that small room, with Snape, long enough for people to have unpacked and come back downstairs in search of something to eat.

"Would you like anything for lunch, Miss Granger?" Snape asked her after a few moments.

Hermione shook her head, she had completely lost her appetite and just wanted to go to her room and eat some of those comfort foods she had purchased the other day.

Snape nodded and waited until he could hear no more footsteps before quietly opening the door and peered into the hallway.

The hallway and stairs were clear and he ushered the young girl to follow him. For good measure, he cast a disillusionment charm around the both of them before making his way up to their rooms. Once there, he dropped the charm and coaxed her through the door that was opposite to their rooms and sat her down.

Hermione felt uneasy in this room when she was on her own, it was dark and gloomy for a living room and the house creaked where it was old and made it seem like it something was always watching and waiting for her. The room was ornate but with her professors presence she felt at ease and could cope with the scary room.

A moment later the house elf appeared in the room carrying a tray of hot chocolate and biscuits, Hermione's mouth watered at the delicious smell. Snape smiled knowing he had done the right thing and handed her a mug as they sat at the small table that was in the room by the window. This room, much like her bedroom, had a beautiful view of the park and you could often see and hear the children laughing and playing games. It relaxed her.

"I don't think I want to go back to school" Hermione admitted.

"The Hermione Granger does not wish to be surrounded by knowledge, show of her reading abilities, nearly break her arm by how fast she throws it in the air and not bombard her professors with mile long essays!" Snape teased her.

Hermione chuckled "it's not that, I love doing all of that stuff it's just, other things I'm worried about" she said nervously.

"Like what Miss Granger? Talk to me" he asked her.

"What if I have night terrors at school, I don't want to annoy anyone. Also if Harry is not talking to me, no one else in my house will. I'm terrified to be perfectly honest and I will lose you, I don't want you to go back to being mean for appearance sake, it might just destroy me" she answered.

Snape sighed "firstly you have more allies at Hogwarts than you think so don't worry about isolation. Secondly, yes I will have to resume my role as snarky, greasy dungeon bat but only in lessons. Of course I know what people say about me before you comment. But I meant what I said the other day, if you need someone; you are more than welcome to come to me. You know where my office is and if you knock and I don't answer, come in and walk behind the blackboard. There is a door behind it, knock on it and I should be in there" he explained trying to build her confidence back up.

"The night terrors however, are something you will have to deal with. I can provide you with some spells that will hopefully help and some potions to help for the really painful dreams. Will that help?" He suggested.

Hermione nodded, cursing herself internally for appearing so weak. She also had something else she needed to ask.

"What about that ministry official that's teaching defence, you were all worried about her interference. Umbridge, I think you said her name was" Hermione asked. Then she paused, realising what she had just said would bust her for listening in on private order business. She looked at Snape nervously.

"Snooping in on confidential Order meetings, are we? How very Slytherin of you" Snape grinned at her.

She mock glared back at him "it's your entire fault. I've picked up some of your habits recently" she stated.

"Yes I noticed the sneer you gave the wolf earlier, impressive job by the way" he praised her.

Hermione giggled at his comments and then he started to address Hermione's query about the Umbridge woman.

"The ministry fear that members of the school are going to try and form an army of sorts so they have modified the defence programme in a way that it is essentially useless to you as students to use practically in the real world. They have sent in Umbridge to keep an eye on things as it were. They don't believe Mr Potter's claim about the Dark Lord returning but they don't want to take any chances that Dumbledore might try to raise an army to prove a point" Snape explained.

Hermione nodded, it all made sense after all.

"What's she like, Umbridge? Do you know?" Hermione asked.

Snape grimaced.

"You are going to love her. She is a pink, powdery puffball, cat loving, nasty piece of work with a high pitched voice that wants to make you rip off your own arm and throw it at her and when she clears that throat of hers in that patronising way, you just know you will want to kill her with whatever crap spews from her mouth" Snape answered honestly.

"She's really that bad?" Hermione asked gulping.

Snape nodded.

"Merlin" Hermione breathed.

"Yes, this is going to be an interesting year, don't you think Miss Granger?" Snape asked rhetorically.

Hermione was about to reply when voices could be heard close by.

"She's got to be here somewhere" a voice said.

"Who says she wants to be found by your ugly face" another voice replied.

"Oi, we practically have the same face, dumbass" the first voice responded.

'Fred and George' Hermione thought to herself. Of course they would come and find her.

"Go see them Miss Granger, remember you have more allies than you think. Besides, don't ever tell them I said so but, if anyone can cheer you up, it's those two buffoons. They can be quite entertaining" Snape said.

"A compliment, sir?" She asked pretending to be shocked.

"Don't ever tell them, I will never live it down" Snape warned.

"Yes sir, and thank you again for the hot chocolate and biscuits" she said.

Snape nodded in acceptance of her thanks and she bounded out of the room.

"Gods, you two would make awful spies" he heard her say to them in her usual bossy tone. Snape sniggered to himself, she would never change and he spent the rest of the day pondering over the year ahead.

Meanwhile, Hermione was with the twins and they were showing her all their latest products that they were going to try out at school over the next year.

"Let us introduce you to our latest invention" Fred said as he got out a box and opened it up showing her what looked like lots of sweets inside.

She raised her eyebrow at them in order to get them to continue.

"This is the skiving snack box" George told her.

They proceeded to show her all the sweets and what each one did. This was going to drive the teachers and Madame Pomfrey insane this year. She could see all their detentions now. But she laughed none the less, these twins had such crazy ideas that they were clever and would prove to be very popular, she was ready to place her bets on it.

"On a serious note Granger, what Harry said earlier was wrong. We know he's hot headed but to be fair, Sirius is Harry's only true family member and he was the best friend of Harry's dad. So you can understand why he's pissed off" the boys told her.

She sighed.

"I get that, I really do but he's been blaming me for being here. I didn't choose this, I didn't want this but Harry's under the impression that I asked to be here. Look at the letters he's sent me about it" she told them.

The boys read the letters and shook their heads.

"Fair enough, look at the language that he uses. We never knew he knew so many colourful words and he has no right to accuse you of trying to steal his godfather away from him" Fred said trying to joke and make her smile.

"Believe me, he can have Sirius, I have no interest in that man whatsoever. He's an alcoholic, a womaniser and a downright slob" Hermione said viciously.

The twins smirked "has our little Mione got a crush on the tall, dark and handsome Sirius Black" they chorused, grinning at her.

Hermione wanted to throw up.

"No!" She exclaimed.

"Absolutely not! That is the last thing, oh for goodness sake. I do not have a crush on Sirius Black, I promise you that!" She exclaimed, flushed with anger. She was trying to convince them that she really had no warm fuzzy feelings towards the disgusting Black.

The twin's grins widened "look at her, blushing. You so have the hots for Black" the mocked her.

"I swear I don't!" Hermione tried again.

"Yeah, whatever Granger. Of course you don't. Maybe we should leave you alone to your daydreams" they joked.

"See you later Granger" and then they left her in her room, staring off into space.

Hermione immediately ran for the bathroom and vomited everything she had inside of her. The thoughts were repulsive and she couldn't even comprehend what the twins had insinuated.

The bathroom door creaked open but Hermione couldn't have looked behind her without making a mess. The next thing she knew, calming hands were pulling her hair back behind her head and then there was a hand rubbing her back up and down soothingly. She knew who it was.

Snape had been angry, he had just had a run in with an angry werewolf in the drawing room downstairs and what had occurred in that conversation made Snape venomous, he wanted to maim the wolf.

"What have you done to her Snape?" Lupin had asked him, referring to Hermione.

"Now I have recovered from the full moon, I can sense that something has changed, she has a different scent now than she did before I left for my transformation. I have a feeling I know what the change is but seeing as that night, you were the only one who was completely awake and aware, it leads me to believe that you have done something you shouldn't have done with Hermione" the wolf had ranted and raved at Snape.

Snape nearly ripped the wolf's head off there and then "How dare you accuse me of such things Lupin?" Snape had yelled.

Snape had officially lost it "Why don't you keep your nose out of my life and focus more on the lives that you are closer to? You might find out some things that you didn't know about your oldest and closest friend's" Snape spat at the wolf.

Lupin hesitated 'what the hell does he mean?' Lupin thought to himself, not sure why he was really listening to a word Snape had to say.

"Whatever Snape, you've done something and I will be informing Dumbledore and hear what he has to say on the matter" Lupin told Snape smugly, bluffing.

"You don't have the balls, Lupin" Snape said, calling Lupin out on his bluff.

"You're an awful man, Severus" Lupin told him.

"We all have dark sides Lupin, even that little mutt of yours" Snape told Lupin cryptically.

Snape left Lupin looking confused and headed up to his room annoyed at how the conversation had played out. He was just entering his room when something stopped him, he heard the most awful noises coming from the bathroom and automatically cursed the twins for any product they had given to the girl.

Snape entered the bathroom, took pity on the girl and held her hair up an rubbed her back soothingly.

Once Hermione was done, she flushed the toilet, getting rid of the mess, and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Deeming herself presentable to turn and face the potions professor.

"Feel better Miss Granger?" He asked softly.

She nodded and proceeded to wash her mouth out.

"What happened?" He asked.

"The twins implied something that caused my stomach to turn" she answered.

"Boys can be repulsive, Miss Granger. I wouldn't worry about it" he suggested.

She shook her head.

"They suggested that I had a crush on Sirius Black after I expressed my hatred for him" she told him and looked down at the floor.

"Come on Miss Granger, time for dinner" he said trying to change the subject.

She really didn't want to go downstairs but knew she needed to eat something substantial. She hadn't eaten much in the last couple of days.

"Don't worry, I will go with you" he reassured her.

She nodded and they headed down to the kitchen together.

In the kitchen was Sirius, Ron and Harry, they were all sat around the table laughing at some old school days story the Sirius was telling the boys. Sirius looked up and saw Snape and Hermione stood in the doorway.

"We've just come to get something to eat" Snape announced and all eyes turned to him and Granger.

"We?" Harry questioned.

Snape nodded as they made their over to prepare their meal.

"So, Hermione Granger has crossed over to the dark side. Hanging out with snakes now are you?" Ron piped up.

"Oh, grow up Ronald! For goodness sake at least Professor Snape has manners and doesn't encourage childish behaviour like everybody else in this place does" Hermione snapped.

She was now fixing herself something to eat and was trying to cut a piece of baguette to have with her salad. She was angry and Snape was worried she would harm herself with the bread knife.

Ron glared at her and clenched his fist in anger. How dare she speak to him like that?

Harry then spoke up for his friend "no offence Hermione but you've been a bit of a bitch to us over the last few years, all you ever do is nag us and moan at us to do our homework and then when we come to you for help on papers all you do is yell at us" Harry said haughtily.

"How dare you Harry Potter!" she shrieked turning around to face him. Everyone was aware that she still had the knife tightly in her grasp and all felt slightly uncomfortable at the possibility that she could kill them all where they sat.

"If I didn't nag you, you would have been forced to drop out by now. If you don't complete your homework how the fuck do you expect to learn anything? If you hadn't noticed we are going to be at war soon and if you two don't buck up your ideas, get your fingers out of your arses and learn now, neither of you will last a bloody second. So excuse me for trying to keep the pair of you alive. Also, leaving your homework in my dormitory with a note saying 'can you do this for us', is not asking for help. I am meant to be your friend not your bloody house elf" she fumed, she wasn't done yet.

"Well guess what, you've fucked up big time. I'm done, I'm not going to do anything for you this school year and I'm going to place bets with myself to see how long it will take for you to say that you need me because I can assure you Harry, you need all the fucking help you could possibly get right now" she took her plate and she stormed out of the room.

Harry felt like he had been slapped across the face, he realised she had spoken the truth but was too stubborn and proud to admit it. Snape was glaring at him, he glared back.

"Detention for a week when school starts Mr Potter and 15 points from Gryffindor" he sneered.

Harry was indignant and went to argue but was met with the slamming of the kitchen door as Snape also grabbed his plate and left the kitchen.

Leaving the three males trying to get their heads around what had just happened.

Once upstairs, he joined his student at the table in the room they had sat in just hours ago and they are in a comfortable silence before discussing more about going back to school.

"You will get your letter on Monday, telling you what you need to get from Diagon Alley, a trip has already been set in place for then so you will be able to get all of your school bits" Snape explained a short while later.

"Will you be coming?" Hermione asked.

Snape nodded.

"All you students have to be accompanied by an Order member for safety. You're coming with me" Snape stated.

Hermione was over the moon but kept calm on the outside.

"Another day out for us then" she said excitedly.

"Yes, however for appearance sake I won't be able to play nice. I will be back to my normal role for that unfortunately" he warned her.

She nodded in acceptance.

"Then on Friday you will join all the other students on the train back to school. Less than a week until you leave Miss Granger" he said

"And that's still too long" she sighed.

After that Hermione and Snape went to their rooms and enjoyed an uneventful evening. Hermione couldn't wait for Monday to come.

Severus Snape opened his eyes; something had woken him from his slumber. It was eight in the morning, Monday morning, and he suddenly realised what had woken him.

There was high pitched screaming coming from a certain witch's bedroom a couple of doors down. Thinking the worst he threw on some clothes and quickly made his way to her room and opened her bedroom door.

He couldn't believe the sight he was greeted with. Hermione Granger was jumping up and down on the bed like an excited four year old and was squealing with delight at the top of her lungs. Snape was not a morning person and he had got up in a panic for this.

"What the devil are you playing at girl?" He snarled.

"I'm a prefect, I'm a prefect, I'm a prefect!" she shrieked happily showing him her letter and her badge.

Snape exhaled in relief, at least she hadn't gone crazy on him yet, or perhaps she already was. Shaking his thoughts away, Snape congratulated her and then stalked back to his rooms to get dressed for the tiring day ahead. It was the outing to Diagon Alley after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Talk of sex and bad language! Thanks for all your reviews and comments! :)**

 **Diagon Alley and an Awkward Dinner**

Hermione was still buzzing about her newly discovered prefect status. She had worked so hard for so many years and it has all finally paid off. She had finally been awarded something that she had wanted since she had stepped foot into the magical world. She walked downstairs and went into the drawing room with everyone else and prepared for the day at Diagon Alley.

"Right listen up you lot. I have a list here to show all you underage students which Order member you will partner up with. You are all to go where you need to go and then you are to come back, understand? We don't want any casualties today" Moody said.

The list was passed around and it eventually got to Hermione. She already knew who she had been partnered with but she looked anyway.

 **Partners:**  
 _\- Tonks and Ginny  
\- Fred and George  
\- Ron and Arthur  
\- Hermione and Snape  
\- Harry and Remus and Moody  
\- Molly and McGonagall_

"Tough break Granger" Fred said

"Yeah, good luck with that" George stated.

A deep clearing of the throat sounded from behind them and they gulped. They were gonna die.

"Actually, I think you will find that it is I who needs the luck Mr's Weasley. Merlin knows how long she will keep me in Flourish and Blotts" Snape said with a voice of disdain.

The boys winced.

Ginny chuckled at Hermione's expense. The girls had never really got on and any swipe Ginny could get at Hermione, she would do so.

Hermione knew Snape was just putting on an act. But it still hurt when people mocked her love for reading. At the end of the day, reading was her escape and her own personal haven so she wasn't going to apologise for it.

"Right, if we are all ready to go then. Order members, remember your apparition points and happy shopping" Mr Weasley said grinning.

They all headed off. Snape led Hermione to their apparition point and whisked her away to the bright, cheerful alley.

"Where to first Miss Granger" Snape asked.

"I have a plan sir and a list of everything I need so hopefully it won't be too boring for you. First is Flourish and Blotts, I thought you would appreciate getting that one out of the way first" Hermione told him. Snape nodded.

"Is there anything you need to get sir?" She queried.

"They will be items that I can get in the shops you need to go to so don't worry about me, just concentrate on your own shopping" Snape told her, touched that she had thought of him and his needs again.

Hermione spent just over an hour in the bookshop and came out with an Arsenal of books that even she had underestimated. They were so heavy and she was struggling to carry them. Luckily for her, she had a knight in shining armour that was Severus Snape and he cast a shrinking charm and feather light charm on her books which made them feel no heavier than a piece of paper. She smiled her thanks at him and he smirked at her back.

"Can't have anything wrong with your arms now can we. What world would we be living in if Hermione Granger couldn't raise her hand to answer the questions in class?" He teased.

She huffed playfully at him and pretended to stomp childishly away from him.

Snape tried to contain his laughter. There were took many people around who knew who he was and would definitely notice if he, the feared potions master of the world laughed.

They went on shopping and found themselves finished with a little time to spare.

"Would you like to get something to eat?" Hermione asked Snape.

"I have to keep up an act here remember that Miss Granger" he told her.

"I never said we had to eat in Diagon Alley" she said hopefully.

Snape sighed, he just couldn't say 'no' to her and agreed that they would go and find somewhere to dine in the muggle world.

They apparated back near the house and then walked into the town that was nearby. They found a sandwich shop and so brought sandwiches, cakes and drinks. They found a beautiful spot by a lake that was accompanied by a beautiful field. They located an empty park table and went and sat down to eat.

"I miss this you know" Hermione told him.

"Just the simplicity of buying a sandwich and eating it in the park, at a bench. I miss normality, my life has been everything but normal and it sort of upsets me a bit" Hermione said wistfully.

"I understand exactly what you mean Miss Granger. I also prefer and appreciate the smaller things in life. But I think it would be a bit boring if it was like this all the time" he told her.

'True' she thought.

They sat in silence and ate, after some time Hermione had been thinking about how in four days' time she would be heading back to school on the train.

"I hope this school year is interesting" she announced suddenly.

"I am most certain it will be. Miss Granger, I thought that I should inform you that I will be leaving Grimmauld Place on Wednesday evening. The teachers have to be back at school the day before the students are due to arrive as there are meetings to be had amongst the staff. I just thought you should know" he told her.

"It's none of my business sir, but thank you for telling me all the same, I appreciate that you care enough to inform me of things like that" she said honestly.

"Tell anyone and I will deny it and have to kill you" he joked back.

They both smirked at each other. She was going to miss him when he left headquarters but she would probably be too busy getting ready to go back to school to miss his absence terribly.

They sat basking in the calm world knowing that in a week it was going to be back to mayhem and madness and shouting and screaming and the only tranquillity would be if you were rendered unconscious by an awry spell.

As Soul II Soul would say 'Back to Life, Back to Reality'. Hermione sighed; she knew they would have to be heading back soon.

"Come, Miss Granger, we must be making tracks now" he told her gently and almost disappointed that he also had to leave this peaceful place.

They walked back to the safe house and went up to their floor. They went into their rooms and unpacked what they had brought when shopping.

A few moments later, there was hurried footsteps coming up the stairs and headed towards their rooms.

Hermione poked her head out and saw Moody and Lupin coming towards the rooms like hell had been unleashed.

Snape also was now aware that there were others near the rooms and also peered his head out of his door.

"Where the devil have the two of you been? We thought something had happened, you have been gone well over the agreed duration of the visit" Moody yelled looking half crazed (not that he didn't normally).

"You sent the whole Order into frenzy when we couldn't locate the pair of you" Lupin stated also looking worried.

"We thought you had been attacked or worse" Lupin added.

"We are clearly fine and we stopped to get something to eat. Miss Granger was practically faint with fatigue and would not have been strong enough for apparition" Snape lied convincingly.

"It was my fault in the first place, we never should have spent so long in the bookshop, I apologise for causing the worry it was my fault. Professor Snape was kind enough to do his duty and watched out for me; it's him who should be thanked that I'm feeling alright now" Hermione smiled following Snape's lead and lying through her teeth.

"Very well, you're both ok and that's all that matters. We were all panicked but there has been no major harm done" Lupin said trying to keep the peace and he walked away hoping that Moody would drop it and come away as well.

"I'm watching you Snape" Moody glared seething at the potions professor and he turned and followed Lupin back downstairs.

"Well, they were charming as ever" Snape said sarcastically.

"I'm not apologising a beautiful afternoon professor" Hermione said firmly.

"Neither am I, don't let them spoil it" Snape agreed.

They grinned at each other once more and went back to unpacking their shopping.

A while later and they were called downstairs by a Molly Weasley who had kindly prepared dinner for all. They both begrudgingly went downstairs and joined the other guests.

"Ah and they return" Arthur said jokingly. Everyone was aware that Hermione and Snape had been gone hours and nobody knew where.

There was light murmuring around the table as food was served. Hermione had been seated between Fred and Lupin and Snape had been seated opposite her between Arthur and Tonks.

"Did you shag the bat of the dungeons, the greasy git, Hermione?" Fred whispered not so quietly with mischievous glee as he knew it would gain unwanted attention.

Snape nearly spat out his drink and ruined his meal. Where did that insinuation come from? Knowing those two they were just doing it for laughs, they had spent way too much time with Peeves over the years.

"Yeah, I mean we know you have a thing for older men but Snape really?" George joined in the fun.

Snape glared at the boys, Hermione had confided in him what had happened and he knew she was sensitive to it because of what no one else but he (and Dumbledore) knew about what had happened to her here.

The whole table had stopped talking now and were in silence focusing on the unlikely pair.

"Mr's Weasley, I do suggest that you desist from speaking of such impropriety at once. Miss Granger is my student and I am practically bound by oath as her teacher. Please remove your minds from the gutter and do not let me hear such things from you again" Snape snarled at the boys and glared at the rest of the table.

"He's being pretty defensive about this don't you think" Ginny whispered with Harry and Ron. Great, that's all Hermione needed, more rumours flying around the school.

"Nah, we know she never go for ole Snapey but that doesn't mean that she doesn't favour older men now does it Granger. Now go on fess up to what we called you out on the other day" Fred and George joked trying to embarrass her in a sisterly way.

The whole table was now intrigued by the girl.

"No, not gonna share with the table? Its ok we will save it for another dinner. Make more of them interesting that way" the twins sniggered. They were only having fun but Hermione was internally panicking.

Hermione excused herself from the table and left the kitchen and headed straight for her bedroom.

"We were only having a joke" Fred stammered shocked by her exit.

"Is she always this serious" George remarked.

The other students just nodded their heads and shrugged.

"That's one of the problems with her; she doesn't have a sense of humour. She can't take a joke" Harry told them.

'Wrong' Snape thought.

'She has a sense of humour but a sarcastic one, battle of wits. Much too intelligent for your puny minds' he thought towards his students angrily.

"What's her secret that no one knows?" Ginny asked, looking for hot gossip to take back to school with her.

"Like we said sis, that's for another night. You know how much we love suspense and it will also mean you won't miss another meal before we all head back to school" the boys grinned that mischievous grin once more.

Everyone went back to eating and chatting except Lupin who was staring at Snape with such an intense gaze that Snape wouldn't be surprised if Lupin could see into his soul.

After everyone had finished eating, Molly shooed them all out of the kitchen so she could clean up and prepare pudding. Snape knew that it would gain attention if he didn't go back for dessert so he unwillingly stayed and prayed for this to be over quickly so he could go and see his student and make sure she didn't do anything stupid. He was also worried that she hadn't eaten; she didn't eat enough as it is.

He managed to secretly give orders to the house elf to take Hermione up a plate of food without appearing suspicious. The elf did as it was asked and soon Molly was calling them for pudding.

Pudding was an awkward but quick affair and Snape thanked Merlin when they were dismissed from the kitchen. Snape headed up to his room and was going to check in on Miss Granger but he thought better of it, he would surely see her in the morning anyway.

Hermione was in bed and couldn't help but feel dirty again. Is that what people really thought of her? She was upset by this, she had never really had friends before Hogwarts and people's opinions didn't matter because she had no one to care enough about what they thought. But she had friends now and so it all mattered.

She looked at the empty plate that the elf had brought to her earlier, full of food. She hoped she hadn't made things too awkward at dinner but she hated being talked about as if she was a slut and people commented on her in a promiscuous way. She hated it and tonight had been humiliated but she refused to cry over it.

The following day was just boring; Hermione moped around in her room and refused to leave. She had Snape trying to coax her out for something to eat and would send up the house elf with food when she refused to come out.

'He is such a gentleman' Hermione thought to herself, not for the first time.

'He's a good man' she smiled, yes she and Snape had formed an understanding in the last few weeks and dare she say it, she even considered him as a friend. She smiled at the thought, if she told anyone she considered Snape a friend, she would be earning herself a one way ticket to St Mungo's emergency department. She giggled at the imagery.

Later Snape knocked on her door and she sighed and let him in.

"You've been hiding from your demons" he criticised.

"Wasn't in the mood" she replied.

Snape nodded and let the subject drop sensing that she wasn't in the mood for jokes or humour tonight.

"Are you ok though?" He asked thoughtfully.

"I'm fine, I love being painted as a scarlet woman" she said monotonous.

Snape sighed "you are anything but a scarlet woman. They were only mucking about but I understand why it has upset you" he confessed.

"Are you ok with all of that? Is there anything more you want to discuss about that night yet?" He asked, hoping he wasn't pushing her too far.

"What's sex supposed to feel like? How is it meant to be?" She asked him.

"I cannot answer that question because I have yet to discover that myself" he smiled reassuringly at her.

"Forgive me for being bold but, you have never had anyone like loved anyone?" She queried hoping she hadn't overstepped a boundary here.

Snape sighed "I thought there might have been someone, once, a very long time ago but it was not meant to be. After that my double agent duties have prevented me from being involved. Some of the things I have seen and some of the things I have done has made me a forever damned man, Miss Granger. No one deserves to have that in their lives" he opened up his soul to her.

She gasped at the revelation.

"You deserve happiness though; surely you won't condemn yourself forever?" She asked him.

He shrugged "maybe one day but I don't expect to survive this war to be honest so let's get that out of the way first before planning a future of any kind" he stated with finality.

"You won't die; you have willingly suffered so greatly for so long. You will be rewarded for it, I am sure" she smiled as she leaned in and hugged him again.

He was always caught off guard with those hugs but he welcomed the comfort all the same.

"Will you be moping tomorrow or will you come out?" He asked her once she was satisfied with the hug.

"Why do you think I did all my moping today? I wanted it all out of my system for you, for your last day here tomorrow" she told him jokingly.

"Never make promises you might not keep, you never know what tomorrow may bring" he smiled at her.

"Good night, Miss Granger" he said to her.

"Good night sir" she responded and he left her to her peace and she fell into a blissful sleep.

Snape also lay in bed but was wide awake. What was it about this girl in particular?

They had grown close that he almost considered her as a friend. He hadn't had one of those in decades but he couldn't help it now. He enjoyed her intelligent conversation and loved her dry sense of humour. She had understood him in less than four weeks than anyone had ever come close to in over twenty years.

'It's because she doesn't see Snape the dungeon bat' a voice answered him in his mind.

'It's because she sees you as Severus, the real true Severus Snape and she likes you even more because of it' he stopped his thoughts there. He was tired and his mind was wandering into dangerous territory again.

He almost laughed in the darkness and the silence and he began to drift off to sleep.

Whoever could have guessed that Severus Snape would find a true friend again in the form of the bookworm Hermione Granger?


	9. Chapter 9

**Snape Leaves, Tensions Rise and Hermione Breaks**

 **A/N WARNING – Distre** **ssing Content Ahead, Scenes of Rape, violence, cutting and bad language - this chapter is NOT for those who are sensitive to such issues, this is a trigger chapter and earns its M rating here! Also, thank you for your continued support and comments, you're all amazing!**

Snape's last day at Grimmauld Place. In his opinion, it was bittersweet. He hated everything about this place especially the owner of this place. But, on the other hand, he had made a friend here and he had finally felt some small emotion and came to the conclusion that his icy black heart had thawed and had been pumping to a happy beat for the first time in many years.

As he checked one last time that he had all of his belongings packed and ready to go, he paused and thought about the school year to come. There was going to be more Death Eater meetings now, which meant more lies he would have to tell, which meant more injuries and scars and crucio curses. He sighed, he didn't want to think on it at the moment, the Dark Lord had been quiet still too weak to do any major damage and now that nobody believed Potter, the Dark Lord was using his Slytherin traits and being subtle and calculating every single move he made.

Another problem was the Umbridge woman, she was like hell wrapped in shiny paper and literally came with a pretty pink bow. Snape knew the school was going to shit this year. According to Dumbledore, the new defence programme was only going to be theory. The students would read about the spells but would not get to practice them, a fat lot of good that's going to do in the future.

Snape then thought about the young witch who was currently taking up most of his time at the moment. He enjoyed her company and didn't think he would have it again until at least Christmas and that was only if she decided not to stay at the castle. He was going to miss her, although he was agitated to admit it. Who knew that the bushy haired, buck toothed, know-it-all, stubborn chit of a bookworm would intrigue him so much?

It wasn't that she was just like Lily; it's because she was so much more than that and it bothered him that he didn't really think much about Lily now. In fact, Granger reminded him of his mother, kind, stunning in her own way, brave in the face of danger but Granger was so much stronger than his mother had been and was going to make sure it stayed that way.

Snape was also angry at everyone around him on behalf of the Granger girl. He hated Albus, for ignoring a crime so great that it could destroy a person. He hated Lupin, a true adult friend for Granger who had been angry at her and snapped at her and immediately taken Harry's side. Granger's so called 'friends' who only talked to her when they needed her. Sirius Black - let's not even go there. The Weasley's, they had adopted her into the family but were still in another world to her because they didn't understand the muggle world and so didn't get her.

Then there was him. He had tried to help her as much as he possibly could and hoped he had done enough for her. He didn't want to watch her wither and fade, he wanted her to thrive. She was destined for greatness and she would get there.

With those thoughts he headed for the stairs, he wanted food. He was about to head down them when and red faced Potter stormed past him on the landing.

"Manners Potter' Snape shouted at the boy.

Harry glared "Where's Hermione? I need to speak to her" he said through gritted teeth.

Snape didn't like this, what the hell could have happened now?

"Is she in her room? Or is she in yours?" Harry turned and looked at him with a tone of disapproval and a look of disgust.

Snape's eyes narrowed "and what exactly are you suggesting, Mr Potter" Snape glared at the arrogant schoolboy.

"Well you clearly can't get anyone your own age..." Harry trailed off.

Snape's eye twitched, actually twitched, he was so close to throwing the boy down the stairs for good measure.

"I don't know where she is, Mr Potter. I would guess her room but I'm not certain as I have not seen her yet today" Snape told him coolly, trying to keep the upper hand and take the higher road as it were.

Harry have one last loathing look towards his potions master and headed for the room Sirius had told him was hers. Snape watched the boy, wondering what had brought him up here in the first place.

"Hermione Granger, you'd better get out here now you Jezebel!" Harry yelled maliciously.

Snape stood there confused, not understanding the situation but guessed it wasn't going to be good. So he stood and watched what was going to happen, he could also hear the footsteps downstairs coming towards the stairs, clearly hearing the shout of the chosen one.

A wide eyed Hermione opened her bedroom door and stepped out. She recoiled slightly at the look on Harry's face.

"I knew you were trying to steal my godfather away from me, I knew it and now that I have proof, you are nothing but a common whore" Harry screamed at her. The other members of the household had now gathered upstairs and we're watching the two students intently as if they were watching a film, all that was missing was the popcorn.

Hermione paled at Harry's comments, she had been called that before and it wasn't in the most positive of circumstances and now she was hurt.

"Harry, what on earth are you talking about?" She asked him, keeping her voice quiet as she could see the audience that had now gathered.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! The twins told me about your little crush on Sirius. You've probably been spending lots of 'quality' time with him doing Merlin knows what" Harry exploded at her.

There were gasps from the others. Ron and Ginny looked shocked but quickly took Harry's side, as usual. Molly and Arthur looked ever the epitome of disappointment parents. Lupin looked shocked and slightly sick and shook his head at Hermione in disapproval. Sirius looked shocked. The twins looked slightly ashamed that they had blabbed and caused her this humiliation and Snape looked murderous at Harry and was concerned for Hermione.

"Harry, I told them when they were teasing me about this, it isn't true. I swear it. I don't have a crush on your godfather and I am most definitely not trying to take him away from you" she pleaded, begging anyone to believe her.

"I think you're lonely Hermione. Your parents have been sent away, you've had to live alone in this place for the summer with only Snape, Remus and Sirius as company. I know Remus was away for most of it and Snape would have kept away from you all so that only leaves Sirius. On those lonely nights when you were feeling down, it was him you desired to look after you and take the loneliness away. Am I right?" Harry told her his thoughts. Hermione was speechless and she was shaking her head, no. He was wrong, so wrong.

"You're so wrong Harry, you have it completely wrong" she whispered.

Harry looked at her like he might believe her for a second and then changed his mind and looked at her in disgust. He turned his back on her and walked down the stairs and everyone followed except Snape, the Weasley twins, Remus and Sirius.

"Hermione, do you know how very wrong it is to desire a much older man?" Remus asked her. Lupin had clearly realised that in accusing Snape of harming Hermione, he hadn't considered that she might have consensually sought out the comfort of Sirius, his best friend.

"You are underage and this crush thing you have on Sirius is completely unfair. You are a minor and he can't do anything about it. Sirius can't leave the house and so the temptation is there but at least Sirius has learned restraint" Remus told her almost crossly.

Snape wanted to snort and shake the wolf but he knew it would give Hermione away to Sirius that she had told someone.

"Maybe you should get help, Hermione. Go and see someone and get a little bit of advice, yes?" Sirius addressed her directly with a hidden smirk that only she could see.

Snape wanted to beat the shit out of him and then kill him. How dare he tell her she needs help! How dare he even address her directly! Snape was fuming.

"Come on Padfoot, let's leave her to her be now, she will make the right choices in the end" Lupin said as he slung his arm around his best friend and they headed downstairs.

"Hermione, we apologise. We had no idea Harry would blow up like that. We were only joking and messing about, teasing, trying to embarrass you" they told the girl who looked as though the shining light from her eyes had gone out. She was still staring ahead with a blank expression on her face. She felt sick.

"Don't you think you two have done enough damage? Away with the both of you" Snape told them sternly, leaving no room for argument.

The boys nodded, feeling guilty about what they had done to their friend and they headed upstairs to their rooms.

Snape turned to Hermione, who was still out of it, and he steered her into their living room and sat her down at the table and summoned some tea and cake for the girl.

He didn't say anything to her or make any comments. He waited for her to be ready to talk to him, he knew she would when she was ready he just had to wait it out.

"This is going to be all round school when we go back" she whispered upset, she didn't want that. She just wanted to be another face in the crowd but after that, Ginny would tell and it would spread like wildfire.

She would be the freakish bookworm, who was into older men and spent her time planning how to seduce them. They would call her a slut and other horrible slurs. Rita Skeeter would throw a party when she caught wind of this.

Hermione refused to cry about it, she was bottling up the emotions for now and would find a healthy way to let them all out later.

Snape placed a hand upon hers and she felt comforted. Snape knew how nasty the students could be to each other and Hermione didn't need to feel isolated, she needed to be surrounded by those close to her and have laughter and joy in her world. She was in for a difficult beginning of the year, Snape knew that. He would help her as much as he could without being noticed, he was not going to let this bright light go out.

Neither Snape nor Hermione spoke, they just enjoyed each other's presence and eventually the sun began to set over the park outside and shadows grew longer.

"Miss Granger, I regret this but I must take my leave now. I must be back at the school before eight o'clock. The first staff meeting follows shortly after that.

Hermione sighed sadly but nodded, she understood that and she knew it had been coming. It didn't make it any less difficult to say goodbye, the only comfort was that it would only be tomorrow that she wouldn't see him and then she would be back at school and near him again.

Snape stood up to make his leave and Hermione made a strangled sort of noise and dived in for one last cuddle, breathing in his strong scent of sandalwood that had become familiar to her. He patted her back and they said their final goodbyes and Severus Snape was gone.

Hermione wiped a tear that had made its way down her face and shivered. Had the room always been this cold in summer?

Hermione didn't know what else to do so she headed back to her room. She looked at the room that had been occupied by the potions professor and found that the door had been left wide open; it looked like nobody had ever stayed in it. Hermione walked into her room and quietly shut the door and then flopped down on her bed, she felt lonelier now than she had ever done and didn't know what to do with herself.

As she turned to hug her pillow, she felt something underneath it and snatched her hand back not expecting the unfamiliar texture.

She pulled her pillow back and found a package lying there. She opened the neat parcel and found her favourite chocolate bars. There was a small note attached.

'I appreciated your pleasant company this summer. Thank you, Miss Granger' the note said.

Hermione smiled and giggled at the thought of the feared potions professor standing in a confectionary aisle contemplating what chocolate to buy.

'Thank you professor' she said to the empty room.

Hermione stashed her chocolate away for another day and then headed to the bathroom for a shower. She was tired from the day's events and wanted to get to bed. No one had called for her, no one had come to see her and she didn't think anyone really cared all that much.

As she climbed into bed she couldn't help but wish for tomorrow to be over quickly. This time tomorrow she would be preparing to go back to school and would be excited for the Hogwarts Express journey the following morning. Hermione closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Hermione opened her eyes; she had an odd dream that she couldn't quite remember something about Jack and the Beanstalk. Whatever it was she had dreamed had caused her to jolt awake. She adjusted to the darkness of the room and looked at her clock; it was well after three in the morning.

She yawned and prepared to force herself back to sleep.

"So you have a crush on me" a voice said in the dark.

Hermione's eyes bugged out of her head and she reached for her wand as a form of protection. She didn't care about the underage magic law; if she had to use it she would always claim self- defence. She couldn't find it. Where was her wand?

"Looking for something?" Sirius approached her and used magic to turn the lights on, he then held out her wand towards her teasingly.

How dare he violate her wand with his magic? Hermione didn't know what to do; she was quite literally trapped in the corner of the room and had nowhere to go.

Sirius bound her and levitated her to her bed.

'NO NO NO! Not again! I won't allow it' Hermione screamed at herself internally. But she didn't have much of a choice. She was bound and powerless to stop his onslaught of her body.

She closed her eyes and thought about her day out in London with Snape and the happiness she had felt, she remembered the lunch they had got in trouble for on Monday. She thought about the day her and Snape had just sat in a comforting silence and just read for the afternoon. She remembered all their shared meals and when he'd make her cook for him. She remembered how comforted she felt by his embrace. She kept repeating these memories in her mind as Sirius assaulted her once more. She was oblivious to what he was doing until he roughly entered her again and the pain overrode her mind.

She screamed at the pain and couldn't help but let the tears fall.

"There's a good girl" Sirius cooed at her as she sobbed.

Sirius found his climax quickly and was determined to finish what he had started and destroy the girl.

Sirius' hand reached for her clitoris and began to rub the small bundle of nerves that were there. He then teased her nipples with the other hand and gently kisses the sweet spots on her thighs.

Hermione tried to fight against it but no matter what she did, her body betrayed her and she began responding favourably to Sirius' ministrations.

Her body was being brought closer and closer to the edge; she was on the brink of orgasm.

"No, no, no. Don't make me do this, don't cause this please" she begged him.

Sirius just smiled lazily at her and suddenly rolled her clit in between his thumb and forefinger and that's all it took, Hermione was over the edge.

She cried tears of humiliation as her body became unhinged and the pleasurable waves of ecstasy washed over her.

She sobbed at the betrayal of her own body and immediately collapsed into a heap, what had she done wrong in the world to deserve this? She wanted to scream to the heavens. There was nothing left anymore, just the darkness and the fear. She huddled up into a protective ball and looked fearfully up at her tormentor.

He was grinning at her "glad you enjoyed it as much as I did" he winked at her and left her there alone and naked and terrified.

After his footsteps had gone, Hermione fled to the bathroom and immediately threw up whilst tears still streamed down her face. She wanted to die; she wanted to die right there and right now. She was bleeding again and she couldn't help wonder if there was even more damage or if the stitches were now ruined. She didn't want to think about it, she didn't want to think about anything.

She acted on autopilot. How dare her body betray her? How dare it? She hated her body now, hated it and without thinking she lunged for her razor and tested the sharp blade.

Without hesitation she ran it across her left wrist, nothing happened. Hermione had never even thought about cutting before and didn't think it would be this difficult. She tried twice more and there it was; blood began to seep from her wrist. She applied pressure to her other wrist, making that one bleed as well. She didn't know how long she sat there staring at the crimson blood as it fell on the bathroom tiles but she started to feel slightly lightheaded and Completely broken, Hermione Granger passed out.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I just want to thank you all for your comments. I just wanted to clear some things up that people keep commenting on. I had a few messages about how unlikely it is to climax whilst experiencing rape. However, everyone reacts differently in this type of situation...trust me. It is actually very common and 4 out of 5 female victims say they experience an orgasm or something akin to an orgasm. It is possible as an orgasm is not necessarily caused by sex itself, it's more so caused by the hypersensitivity of the body and the hormones. The situation of rape causes fear and anxiety and therefore triggers the 'fight or flight' response, this means that your adrenaline levels are extremely high and this is what causes the chemical reactions in your body to speed up, therefore making it possible to climax during a non-consensual encounter due to the speed in which your hormones are working at because of the adrenaline. It is a horrific idea but some rapists do this in order to humiliate their victim and degrade them by turning their own body against them. It's a sick kind of torture for the victim and a sick pleasure for the assailant.**

 **Another comment suggested that I know nothing about rape victims. I will tell you all now that some of the events in this story is based on true events that have happened, whether they are about myself, a friend or a family member, I will not tell you. I have permission from the victim to write this story and they suggested telling the story through the characters of JK Rowling as it is their favourite series (Let's face it, Harry Potter is EVERYONE'S favourite series) :) . By writing this, it is actually helping the victim through the events they have been through because they are telling their story without having to say a word. Everyone reacts differently when in this type of situation, just because one person experiences one thing, it does NOT mean that another person going through the same thing will have the exact same experience. I hope you all understand this and appreciate this and I hope it may help you readers understand why I write some of the things that I do.**

 **Anyways! On with the next chapter, I hope you enjoy and thank you for your support. It blows me away each time when I read your responses.**

 **A/N: CHAPTER WARNING - This chapter contains discussion of suicide, rape, violence and some nasty language.**

 **Old Enemy becomes New Friend?**

Hermione opened her eyes, her vision was blurry and there was a blinding bright light. Had she done it? Had she offed herself?

She shook her head and cleared the drowsiness and found, with disappointment, that she was still in the bathroom. She looked at her cuts and realised that they had clotted, meaning they hadn't been deep enough to kill her. They'd been enough to hurt and lose a fair bit of blood but nothing more.

Hermione stared at the bathroom floor which looked like it had been painted red and marvelled at the amount of blood that she had lost. She cleaned up her blood and took another shower just to rid her of the disaster that was last night. She wanted to cry but she didn't feel anything at all so she just carried on feeling numb all over.

She wondered what the time was and decided she wasn't going to look until she had packed up her things and double checked she had everything for school.

She set about the task slowly so that as much time would pass as possible. She couldn't believe she had been raped again, she let it happen again, she did nothing to stop it again and she was lost. She needed her potions professor, her friend. But she knew that she would not get what she wished for.

She spent ages packing her belongings and then she checked and double checked her school things. Once she had done that she looked at the time. It was five thirty in the afternoon. She was happy that she was only about sixteen hours away from leaving this place and decided she would take a sleeping draught in a few hours to guarantee at least a twelve hour sleep.

She decided to get some food first and hesitantly made her way to the kitchen ensuring that her wrists were covered inconspicuously. As she walked into the kitchen all conversation stopped and everyone stared at her.

Nobody spoke to her as she picked up a piece of fruit but she had completely lost her appetite. Molly decided to break the tension.

"Are you all packed and ready to go?" Molly asked awkwardly.

Hermione just nodded.

"We will be leaving here at half past nine in the morning. So we are in no panic or rush to board the train" Molly told her.

"Ok" Hermione whispered and she went to walk casually out of the room trying not to breakdown in front of everyone.

"Slut" Ginny faked coughed as she walked past.

"Thief" Harry muttered under his breath but Hermione heard him anyway. She just wanted to be alone and go to sleep.

She walked back up to her room and put her bags by the door ready to take down tomorrow morning. She then grabbed her towel and headed for the bathroom to take a shower.

After she had washed and dressed for bed. She double checked her summer work and made sure that she had done all the work and all the reading. She made a few tweaks on a couple of her projects and checked the time once more.

It was eight o'clock and she decided that was good enough. She was scared Sirius might try and come in again. She thought about barricading her door but realised if he wanted to get in he would just use magic. She prayed that he would not come in tonight and she took the sleeping draught and she climbed into bed. She was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

Hermione woke to a banging on her door.

"Hermione are you awake?" a male voice shouted through the door. Hermione panicked and took a moment to take everything in.

"Hermione? You've slept in, we leave in half an hour" it was Arthur Weasley.

Hermione shot out of bed and opened the door "I overslept?" She questioned him.

"I'm afraid so, best be quick we leave soon" he said trying not to laugh at her panic.

'Same ole Hermione' he thought to himself grinning.

"I will take your luggage down and cast the shrinking and lightweight charms on them so you don't have to worry about them" Arthur said kindly.

"Thank you Mr Weasley" she smiled at him, thankful for his help.

He left with her backs and she got dressed as quickly as she could. When she got downstairs everyone was there and ready to go. Without any more thoughts they were all assigned an Order member and headed to the apparition points.

By ten o'clock, they were at kings Cross and had just under an hour to spare until the train departed. Hermione went and purchased some food and some tea. She couldn't wait to get on the train and be on her way back to school. Every step was a step further away from Sirius Black and Grimmauld Place.

"Mind if I join you?" a voice asked.

Hermione looked up from her seat and came face to face with Remus Lupin. Hermione hesitated before nodding her consent and Lupin took the chair opposite her.

"Hermione, I wanted to ask you about this thing with Sirius..." Lupin trailed off.

"I don't want to talk about it to be honest Remus. Look, I have told you I don't have a crush on him or see him in any other way but professionally, whether you believe me is up to you" Hermione sighed already bored of the conversation.

"It just doesn't make sense; you always have your eye on him like you're watching him from a distance, calculating his every move. If it's not a crush then it has to be for another reason, but what is it?" Lupin told her.

Hermione sighed she was getting annoyed now.

'Fuck it' she thought to herself.

"Do you want to really know what the matter with me is and what it has to do with Sirius?" She asked him.

He nodded.

"He raped me Remus" she told him calmly.

Lupin's eyes widened and he sat staring at her for a few minutes just shaking his head in disbelief.

"That's not funny Hermione" he finally whispered, voice strained.

"I know it's not Remus. He had me first on the night of the full moon when he was piss drunk and he came back for seconds on Wednesday night" Hermione informed him.

"Oh and he threatened me not to tell anyone or he'd make things worse for me but he's already done his worst so I haven't really got anything to lose anymore" she continued.

"I don't know what to believe" Lupin said hesitantly.

As annoying as it was, Hermione understood him. Lupin and Sirius were best friends, had been for decades she didn't expect Lupin to just turn his back on Sirius after all that time.

"It's the truth Remus, I swear it" she said.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" He asked her still unconvinced of the situation.

"I did, I told Dumbledore and he told me to keep quiet about it because Harry needs Sirius in his life. Then the night terrors started and that's when Professor Snape found out, he's been helping me ever since" she told him.

"Well there can't be any substantial evidence then if someone as high as Dumbledore refused to intervene. I'm sorry Hermione, I don't know what to believe, you must excuse me" he said getting up to make his leave.

"Wait! Remus, no matter what you believe…do not let Sirius know that I told you anything, I'm terrified as it is. I don't want things to get worse" she begged him.

Remus hesitated before agreeing with her and then he left.

Hermione made her way to the platform and boarded the train and went to find an empty compartment. She found one and she sat down and started reading a book that she had brought with her. The train pulled out of the station and her friends still hadn't found her, she knew they probably wouldn't anyway and so settled herself in for a long lonely journey.

Everything was calm and quiet until...

"Yuck! The only cabin that has enough space for the three of us and its being taken up by a filthy mudblood" a bratty voice hollered.

Hermione didn't look up and she sighed. This was all she needed, Malfoy and his henchmen.

"Don't like it? Then move on Malfoy" she spat out.

"Oh, trying to claim superiority are we Granger?" He asked as he and his cronies made their way into the cabin and sat down. He hoped in doing so it would make her leave. But she held her ground against him.

"Nope, just stating some facts" she said in a sickeningly sweet fake voice.

Malfoy scoffed at her and noticed she was reading some muggle book and he looked at it with disgust.

Hermione sighed and noticed that she had been put of reading the book now and instead she stood up and went to reach her bag on the shelf above her so she could swap it for a school book instead.

"Who has been manhandling you then Granger? I want to know so I can congratulate them." Malfoy sneered at her.

Hermione froze, how had he known? She was beginning to panic internally and she was going to try and play it off coolly.

"I don't think I follow Malfoy" she stated, playing ignorant trying to bide her time to think.

"Don't be dense Granger, it doesn't suit you. There is a hand shaped bruise on the back of your hip. So who have you been playing bondage with" Malfoy grinned thinking he had discovered the kinky life of Hermione Granger. Then he noticed her face.

After he had made the comment about bondage, she had all but frozen, her face had gone pale and her legs had started to give way and she fell to the floor sobbing, not being able to hold it back.

Malfoy was shocked by her reaction. Don't get him wrong, he didn't like Granger but he had been raised by his mother, who had taught him to be a gentleman. He didn't like it when females cried; it made him uncomfortable and reminded him of how often he had seen his mother in a similar state to what Granger was in now. He looked at his cronies for help, they looked as clueless as ever and he groaned agitated by the sound of her sobs and although he would never admit it, he was slightly worried and close to getting a professor.

"Granger, stop it" he demanded and to his surprise, she stopped immediately and looked at him as if remembering where she was and with whom.

She stood up and dried her eyes; she couldn't stay here now and listen to Malfoy taunting her about what had just happened. She needed out and fast; she had prefect duties to do in a little while anyway. In the meantime she would just go and sit with some first years if she had to.

She was about to leave when Malfoy called out to her.

"Hey Granger wait" he said surprising her and himself.

"Just hold on. It's ok to have a few kinks in the bedroom, I didn't mean to cause you a breakdown like that" he said honestly.

Who was this and what had they done with the real Draco Malfoy? Hermione frowned at him.

Malfoy indicated for his cronies to leave and told them to go get some food for themselves. Once they had gone, Malfoy turned to her and told her to sit down.

"Look Granger, I will admit that I don't really like you but then I don't really know you. I've called you names, taunted you and made you cry and for that I will apologise now while we are in private. But the consequences for me, if I don't put on the pure blood supremacy act, are dire and I would be punished greatly for it. Honestly, it amazes me how you are able to take on so much and still be ahead and top of the year. I also don't like to see women cry, I may be a git but I am still a gentleman who hates to see women cry" he told her.

Hermione was shocked; she didn't know what to say or what to do. She swore to Malfoy that she would never tell a soul anything that had happened in here today.

"The bruises, Granger?" He asked her seriously.

"I know how you get hand prints like those and it's not a matter to play off lightly" he said, thinking again of all the times he had seen his mother's body covered in similar bruises.

"Someone I thought I trusted betrayed me in one of the most brutal ways that exist" she confided in him.

"You don't mean ra-" he was cut off with Hermione looking at him pleadingly asking him not to finish the sentence. But that was enough confirmation for Malfoy.

"Merlin, how many times?" he whispered.

"Twice" she whispered.

"Merlin" he repeated.

"Do you need anything?" He asked her. Who could possibly want to hurt her in her little band of friend's? His bets were on the Weasel, that kid was too hot headed for his own good at times.

Hermione shook her head at him but thanked him all the same. For the first time in nearly five years, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy had a mutual understanding and respect for each other. There was even a smirk thrown in when growing buck teeth and ferrets were discussed.

Hermione went to leave the cabin to do her prefect rounds and get changed ready for Hogwarts when she stopped and turned to him.

"You won't say anything?" She asked him, praying he wouldn't use this against her as blackmail or leverage.

"No Granger, never something like this" he said seriously.

She nodded at him and left as his cronies pushed past her into the compartment with their arms full of cakes and sugary snacks.

She quickly did her rounds and changed into her robes. She knew they were approaching Hogsmeade and she couldn't wait to get to the school.

As she stepped off the train, she noticed people staring at her and knew that rumours had already started making their rounds.

She hopped into the first carriage she saw that had space and eventually arrived at the castle. She made her way to her table and sat down and waited for everyone else to arrive and the sorting ceremony to begin. She looked and saw that professor Snape was looking at her and she gave him a quick smile that no one else could see, he simply nodded his head at her.

The tables began to fill up with students and no one sat near her. She didn't really expect them to, she also heard her name being tossed about but she ignored them.

The sorting ceremony and feast were over pretty quickly and they were dismissed to their dormitories. Hermione walked almost in a catatonic state to her dorm and was greeted with stares and giggles of her roommates.

She then saw why, around her bed was pictures of Sirius Black, she panicked and immediately used magic to get them away, trying not to cry she shut her curtains and proceeded to get ready for bed. She got into bed and lay listening in on the conversations around her, this wasn't fair, and she wouldn't cope if the year was going to be like this.

'It's going to be a long year' she thought to herself as she closed her eyes.

She woke up on Saturday morning and things were much the same. Hermione Granger was depressed and she needed help again but knew it wouldn't be as easy to find as it has been the first time. She wondered around the castle and blanked out the stares, taunts and conversations of the other students.

She was doing well at avoiding everyone until she went down to her favourite spot by the lake and bumped into Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy looked around before addressing her.

"Rough night Granger? You look like hell" he said to her.

"Just what I wanted to hear" she replied sarcastically. She sat down against her favourite tree and took out a book.

"Is it true about you and Black?" He asked her.

She froze "I don't have a crush on him" she told him firmly.

He looked at her "well that's good to hear but I wasn't talking about just the crush. Is it true you've been fucking him since your third year when he broke into the school? Also, apparently you have a secret love child somewhere" he told her.

"That's what they're saying?" She murmured miserably.

He nodded looking almost sympathetic at her.

"I knew it wasn't true" he told her, hoping to relax her just a bit.

"But it was him, wasn't it? He was the one who hurt you" he stated. She just stared at him.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"I overheard how you had been watching him closely this summer whilst you were staying in the same accommodation as him. I just put that with what I knew and guessed it was him" he told her.

"I don't know what to do" she admitted her eyes welling up. Malfoy didn't know what to do either; he didn't know how to deal with something as serious as this.

That's when a group of first years bounded close to their spot and Malfoy had to leave, he couldn't be seen talking to her that would cause problems for him and her. He wanted to help her in a way that he wouldn't be found out. If he was going to do that, he would need some advice from someone who wouldn't ask questions.

He found himself walking towards his destination and he held his hand up and knocked on the door.

"Enter" the voice replied from the other side.

Draco entered the room and looked at the man stood in front of him.

"I need some advice" Draco said

"I'm asking as your godson, not as your student" Draco told him.

Severus Snape looked at the boy with mild concern; Draco had never come to him before for serious advice.

"What can I do for you my son" Snape asked his godson, he would never tell him but he loved the boy as if he were his own.

"I need to ask you how I can help someone who I know has been hurt but I can't be seen helping for appearance sake" Malfoy confided in his godfather.

"You must be careful Draco. I saw you sat with Miss Granger a few moments ago and you're lucky I'm the only one who noticed" Snape told his godson.

"She's been hurt sir in a way that's brutal and she needs help but I don't know how to do it" Draco said. Snape was proud of his godson and was glad that his input over the years (with the help of the boy's mother) has distanced Draco from his father's beliefs.

"I'm aware she has been hurt, I assisted her when it happened, a couple of weeks ago" Severus told him.

"You talk like you only helped her once" Draco said confused and happy that his godfather had tried to help her.

"That's because it only happened the once" Snape stated.

"Then why did she tell me it had happened twice?" Draco questioned his godfather.

Snape stared at the boy.

'TWICE?!" Snape yelled at himself unsure of what to think. It didn't happen a second time whilst he was there, the wards he had cast assured him of that so it must've happened when he wasn't there which meant it had happened within the last two days.

Snape paled and his palms began to sweat.

'Don't worry Hermione, I will help you' he thought to himself.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Chapter Warning – Bad Language, discussions of sexual assault and cutting**

 **A meeting, an Examination and Trouble**

Severus Snape strode down the corridors of the castle, in search of one bushy haired girl that he needed to speak with. He had been wandering around for almost an hour when he came to a halt.

'You're becoming stupid as you get older Snape' he mentally chastised himself.

He turned and headed towards the one place he was certain she would be, in the library. When he got there, he began looking in every hidden crevice of the library in hopes of finding the young girl.

He eventually came across a hidden corner, one he often utilised as a student when he wanted to escape everybody else. His heart stopped as he took in the sight before him.

Hermione Granger was sat staring blankly at the wall in front of her, there was no emotion on her face and there was no light in her eyes. He knew that look, one he had seen reflected back at him in the mirror many times before, it was defeat. He had to restrain himself, all he wanted to do was go to the young witch and take her away from all of this and somewhere he knew that she would be safe forever. But he knew that couldn't happen, so he tried the next best thing that he could think of.

"Miss Granger" he addressed her trying not to feel guilty at the way she had jumped when his voice shattered the silence.

She looked at him not sure what to think or how to respond but she didn't need to worry about that, he had given a slight pause to see if she would respond to him but when it was obvious that she wasn't going to, he swiftly moved on.

"My office in an hour" he told her sternly. He didn't wait to see or hear her reply, he turned on his heel and left.

Snape was slightly nervous, he wasn't sure if he expected her to show or not. He waited impatiently for her, he had even prepared tea and some cakes for him and the girl and now he was playing the waiting game.

He looked at the clock and sighed, he had told her to be here for ten minutes ago, maybe she wasn't going to show or maybe she's encountered problems.

There was a knock at the door. He quickly got up and tried not to run to the office door or look too pleased as he began to open it.

"Sorry I'm late" she whispered as he opened the door and immediately moved aside so she could enter. He directed her over to his desk where he has prepared the afternoon tea. He pulled the chair out for her and helped her in and that was when he had noticed.

She had bits of tiny rolled up pieces of parchment in her hair. She looked like she had been ambushed on her way over.

Hermione had noticed the direction of his gaze and reflexively put her hand to her hair and pulled out a couple of this parchment balls. She looked down ashamed and embarrassed of her weaknesses.

Snape studied her and realised he had been spot on with his assessment and she had been taken as a joke by the student body as they had thrown things at her that they knew would get all tangled up in her hair. Snape felt his heart break for her, he knew what she was feeling and he knew what it was like to be the butt of the joke of everyone around you. He stood up and went over to her and immediately started to thread his hands through her hair and removed any offending pieces from it.

He did not stop until he knew all pieces had been removed and he then took his seat at his desk and looked at her. He was going to get to the task at hand and talk to her about what he had actually asked her here for in the first place.

"I had an interesting conversation with Mr Malfoy earlier" he began.

She looked at him, wondering where he was going with this.

"He informed me of some events that took place on the train ride here and he was quite concerned. I reassured Draco that I was aware of the situation and that I was assisting you but then he told me some information that has worried me deeply" he told her.

She stared at him, holding her breath, she knew what he was going to say and she already felt bad. He had done and risked so much for her already and she didn't want him to feel like she was taking advantage of his kindness.

"Miss Granger? Is there something you would like to tell me?" He asked her, giving her the opportunity to open up to him before he took over.

When she made no response and continued looking down at her hands in her lap, he knew that this was going to be his job to get her to talk about it to him.

"Mr Malfoy mentioned that a certain event had happened twice. I only recalled you mentioning that it had happened once, this leads me to believe that something occurred after I had left. Please tell me" he almost begged her.

She looked at him, her eyes had teared up and her bottom lip had begun to tremble. She didn't want to take advantage of his help but she knew that she needed it.

"He did it again" she whispered.

"On Wednesday night after you had left" she was now biting her lip.

She was immediately startled when Snape's teacup shattered, like it had exploded. She looked at his face and noticed how angry he looked, it was making her nervous and he saw how much he had scared her and he relaxed, he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable in his presence.

"I apologise for that, I'm not angry with you of course" he said, embarrassed that he had lost control of his magic for a moment.

Hermione sniffed, trying not to cry. She was so sick of crying, of feeling like this. It was easier to just switch off her emotions altogether rather than try and control them.

"Dear girl, please tell me what happened" he asked her.

So she did, she told him everything that happened after he had left headquarters and she told him everything that had happened since. He shook his head and cursed himself for not being there to look after her. How could he have been so stupid?

"Are you in any pain?" He asked, remembering the hospital visit and all that damage he had overheard the nurse talking about with her.

She hesitated, and that was all the potions master needed to know. He stood up and went to his supply cupboard and fished out some pain relief potions and the salve he knew she had used the last time. He gave them to her. She took the potions gratefully and put the salve in her bag to use later.

"Do you need a contraceptive?" Snape asked.

She nodded and so he got her one of those as well. He couldn't understand how the same thing had happened to the poor girl twice. It was beyond comprehension and it was far beyond unfair.

They then sat and had tea and cakes in comfortable silence. Snape was plotting Black's gruesome death in his head and thinking of how he would make the dirty dog suffer before getting to plead for mercy and beg for death. He grinned evilly at the images his mind was conjuring.

Hermione looked at him worried when he had grinned and Snape refocused his attention on her. He then asked her how her time back at the castle had been and she had told him about the rumours and how she had been alienated and isolated from her house and other students who believed Harry Potter was god's gift.

Snape had heard the rumours of course but he wanted her to tell him, he wanted for her to speak freely with him and hopefully share her worries and burdens and he wanted to help her through that.

"Do you need any medical assistance?" Snape asked gently hoping that she wouldn't flee.

She looked at him and shrugged. She didn't know what damage had been done; she knew she couldn't go to Pompfrey as that would raise unwanted questions and suspicions, so she didn't know really what to do.

Snape was having the same realisations as her, he also knew St. Mungo's would be too public and it would be all over the prophet within hours. He also knew that he couldn't just whisk her off to a muggle hospital without questions being asked. There was only one option left and he was sure that she wouldn't like it.

He cleared his throat a little awkwardly "would you allow me to assess you?" he asked, his voice unsure.

As a teacher, Snape had basic healing knowledge and as a potions master he had more knowledge in healing as potions were always bound to go wrong and he needed to know how to deal with them. As a death eater, Snape would assist the broken and the damaged who had been used as entertainment at revels and so had superior knowledge in that area and knew exactly what to look out for and what he was doing. He was unsure of what her response would be, she trusted him and she knew all he wanted to do was help her but the bottom line was, he was male and that was probably con enough for her at this stage.

"Yes" she agreed voice wavering slightly and she looked at him emotionless once more.

Snape was surprised at her acceptance and was immediately nervous about what was going to happen now. He mentally prepared himself for the examination and transfigured a chair into a bed that was similar to what he had seen at the hospital. He conjured a sheet, hoping that she would feel as though she had some privacy. He also grabbed as many different healing potions that he could find and he mentally recited all the healing spells he knew in his head for internal healing.

Hermione was biting her lip, she was nervous that he would be disgusted with what he saw and would never want to speak to her again. Naturally, she knew logically that she trusted him and that he would deal with this in a professional manner in order to help her as much as he possibly could.

He told her he was ready when she was and he cast some cleansing charms on his hands and put on a pair of latex gloves and cast a cleansing charm on those as well.

She nodded her consent and began to undress from the waist down and Snape turned and faced the opposite direction to give her some privacy.

When she was done she climbed onto the bed and slipped under the sheet and mentally prepared herself.

'It's only Snape, he's kind and gentle and you trust him' she told herself over and over. She alerted him that she was ready and Snape turned to look at her.

He looked at her, she looked so small, scared and unsure that he all he wanted to do was scoop her up and rock her in his arms.

He moved towards where she lay and sat at the end of the bed where her feet were. He told her to place her feet flat on the bed so that her knees were bent and she did as she was asked.

"When you are ready Miss Granger" he told her gently but firmly, trying to emphasise that all he wanted to do was help her.

She hesitated for a moment and took a deep breath; she then slowly separated her knees and eventually spread her legs open as wide as they would go.

Snape wanted to smile reassuringly at her but didn't want to put her off, she needed this medical and he knew the best way to do this was to detach himself from the situation and pretend that this wasn't a student or a friend but someone who just needed his help.

With that he looked down and began to assess her damage. He gently worked on her and gave her potions and healing tonics where necessary. He quickly placed a numbing charm on her when he realised she had been torn in places and he magically stitched the tears and set them to heal. Once he was done, he placed the sheet back over her modesty and moved away from her to give her a few moments to come round from what had happened.

When she did come round, she looked at him, wanting him to tell her what was wrong with her and if there was anything that she needed to do.

"There was some tearing that should heal up soon, there was bruising but I have placed salve in the necessary areas in hopes of getting the bruising to fade. Also, I gave you a muscle relaxant in hopes that you will not feel any discomfort whilst the pain potions do their job. You may find you need to visit the lavatory more frequently than normal over the course of the day but should be fine by tomorrow" he told her, giving her the information that he knew she wanted.

Hermione nodded "thank you" she whispered awkwardly.

"Dear girl, how many times do I have to tell you not to thank me? I would do this in a heartbeat for you" he whispered back.

She smiled at him again and indicated that she wanted to get dressed again and get off the bed. As soon as she was dressed, Snape transfigured the bed back to a chair and got rid of anything that might remind her of what had just happened.

He then turned to her and offered her another cup of tea which she drank. Without a word she stood up and went over to where he was stood looking out his office window. She hugged him and without hesitation he hugged her back and smiled at her, knowing that she would be alright, at least physically for now.

"I know that wasn't pleasant for you, or what you expected to have to do today, but I am no longer in any pain and that's all thanks to you" she told him still hugging him.

He relaxed and smiled at her "anything for you dear lady" he whispered to her.

Then he grabbed her wrists in order to pull her arms away from his person, but something made him pause. He dismissed it at first but couldn't help but question what he had felt.

'There's no way that she's-' his thought was cut off as he began to turn her hands over in order to take a closer look at her wrists.

Hermione realised what he was trying to do and immediately began to fight him, trying to stop him from seeing what she knew he would find there but it was too late. Snape looked at her wrists and then he looked at her.

"Hermione" he whispered her name for the first time.

"When did this happen? Why did you do this to yourself?" He said angrily, not at her but at the circumstances surrounding this.

She shook her head, she didn't know what to tell him, she barely remembered actually doing the cutting itself and only remembered the disappointment when she realised she had survived her attempts. She let the tears fall.

Snape was panicking 'there was no way he would let this continue, she wasn't going to do this to herself anymore and he wasn't going to let her. He would place her on suicide watch if he had to' his thoughts were cut off by another knock on his office door.

The pair froze and immediately separated. Hermione covered her wrists and Snape flicked his wand to vanish the tea set and anything else that resembled Snape as a merciful man.

"Enter" he said in his intimidating voice.

"Ah professor Snape, I just wanted to ask you a few questions if you are not too busy" it was Umbridge who was looking down her nose and Hermione and looking at Snape expectantly.

"Apologies Madame, let me just deal with this student and then I am at your service" he told the pink toad.

"Miss Granger, you need to come up with a better project title than that. It is far too easy and simple, these are your OWLS and I will not be lenient. You may go, I will invite you back to discuss this" he told her sternly.

Hermione gulped, she knew he wouldn't just let the cutting go and she cursed herself for being so careless that she would let him find out. She nodded in respect to her professor, facades back in place and she left Snape alone at the clutches of the evil hag fluffed up in pink.

As Hermione raced down the corridors back to the library she couldn't help but think about what had happened in Snape's office. He had healed her, he had seen her most private of areas and he had not turned away from her in disgust. What's more is that she didn't feel uncomfortable with him looking at her down there, she felt relaxed and knew he wouldn't hurt her. She trusted him completely and would forever be appreciative of his kindness no matter what. She would help him in return when he needed. But right now all she could think about how much she was going to tear strips off Draco the next time she saw him.

As she wondered around the corner she bumped into someone unexpected and was completely unprepared for it.

"I need to have a word with you in private" he told her sternly and he turned his back and began walking, expecting her to follow.

She sighed, this couldn't be good. But she followed him none the less, intrigued by what he would have to say to her.

As they walked into the ornate office he sat down behind his desk and looked at her expectantly. She looked around and noticed Remus stood to the side and looking at her almost guiltily.

"Please take a seat we have much to discuss Miss Granger" said Albus Dumbledore. 


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you to all of those who have commented, reviewed and read this story. You are amazing and I thank you for your continued support. I have had such a crazy weekend. It was my 21st birthday on Sunday so a weekend full of celebrations has exhausted me. I also dabble in 'Extra' work on film sets and so I've been working on an international film set over the last couple of evenings. Also, I started back at University today for my third and final year! So a busy, busy bee is me. Anyways, I am still on time with this chapter and I hope you all enjoy. Many Thanks! :)**

 **Chapter Warnings – Bad Language, mentions of sexual assault and sex**

 **Conversations with Dumbledore, Harry and Draco**

Hermione looked from the headmaster and then back to Remus. She frowned; she had no idea what they wanted with her.

"Miss Granger, Remus has brought to my attention a certain conversation that you had with him at Kings Cross" Dumbledore informed her.

She cringed, what would he say or do to her? She waited patiently.

"As I have informed you before, it is a serious accusation to make, the sort of accusation that can condemn an innocent man. Remus is under the impression that you told me what had happened and that I was reluctant to intervene because there was no evidence. But the truth is Miss Granger, there is no evidence it is just your word against his and I'm afraid I cannot do anything if I have nothing to go on" Dumbledore informed her sternly.

Dumbledore had made it clear that she was not to tell anyone about what had happened as it could ruin plans that had already been set in place. But she had told Remus and now Dumbledore was playing it off again, pretending that it hadn't happened in order to protect the chosen one.

Hermione nodded miserably.

"Now Miss Granger will you be willing to tell the truth or will I be forced to use more unethical and forceful means" Dumbledore narrowed his eyes at her, trying to tell her to deny everything and that she was making it up so that social order could be kept amongst the Order members.

"Hermione?" Remus looked at her awaiting her reply.

"I-I'm not lying" she whispered, looking down at her lap and fiddling with her fingers.

"Where is your proof, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked, agitation showing on his features, he was surely going to strangle the girl himself.

"Well I don't have any to show you, you can see my memories or use Veritaserum on me" she pleaded, trying to claim her innocence in this whole thing.

"You know that Veritaserum is illegal to use on a student, whether they give permission or not and memories can be fabricated Miss Granger but again, you know this" Dumbledore said.

"That concludes me to believe that the only two ways to give the evidence you claim to have, are the two ways in which are illegal and can be altered. You are intelligent and know this, so you knew you would not be able to be interrogated on this matter and therefore suggests that you can lie anyway knowing it wouldn't make a difference" Dumbledore told her. He wasn't going to help her this time round either. He was going to make it look like she was the one in the wrong, lying about what had happened and trying to fabricate the events and she knew that everyone would believe him.

She was so angry; she wanted to practice some rather nasty curses on the man in that moment. She looked at him and he knew he had got her.

"There we go Remus, see nothing to worry about. The poor girl must be feeling a bit isolated with everything going on. It's only natural to seek attention in other ways" Dumbledore told Remus. Remus, of course, believed every word that was coming out of Dumbledore's mouth.

"Hermione, I don't know what's wrong with you at the moment, but you really must get some help. Also Dumbledore, you don't plan on letting her get away with making an accusation such as this, do you?" Remus asked, looking sternly at the witch. Hermione just stared at him with such sad eyes; Remus almost backtracked on his words.

"Don't worry dear man, leave it with me, I will see to it that she is punished appropriately" Dumbledore promised the werewolf.

Lupin then nodded and made his way back to the floo and was gone, leaving Hermione and the headmaster alone.

"Miss Granger, I warned you about the consequences of what might happen should your summer become public knowledge" Dumbledore stated.

Hermione lost it and a few of Dumbledore's ornaments exploded into pieces and the room began to shake a little.

"Consequences? Fucking consequences? How dare you! You have absolutely no idea the hell I have gone through, twice now and you have basically given permission for it" Hermione seethed, slamming her hands on his desk.

"Do you know the damage that this has caused me? Internally? My insides have been practically ripped apart. My whole world has been dragged from under my feet and to top it off you make me look like a lying bitch in front of one of the only people who gives a damn about trying to understand me. You best be careful Dumbledore, I can assure you that if this is not dealt with then you will lose me, I will have nothing to do with Harry or this war. Carry on and Harry will lose the one thing that has kept him alive this whole time, my mind" she said darkly at him.

Dumbledore's eyes were now narrowed at the girl.

"I refuse to be your little puppet any longer, just issue my punishment and I will be on my way" she told him.

For the first time ever, Hermione saw Dumbledore look defeated.

"Miss Granger, Harry needs you, without you we would be setback" Dumbledore told her.

"And I needed you, twice and both times you have failed me. We can't always get what we want" she snubbed him.

"Very well Miss Granger, you have made it very clear where you stand and that leaves me no choice. Your punishment, hand over your prefect badge and you shall receive three detentions, one with your head of house, one with professor Snape and one with professor Umbridge. I hear she has a different approach on punishment" Dumbledore snapped at her with no mercy.

Hermione turned and left his office, she may have got in trouble but she felt lighter and felt she had put Dumbledore in his place.

Meanwhile Dumbledore sat in his office looking sadly out of his window across the school grounds.

'What have you become old man' he thought sadly to himself.

Dumbledore knew it was wrong to refuse help to the girl. He knew her, knew she wouldn't lie about something like that but he also knew that to win this war, Harry needed everyone he could get beside him.

His plans had backfired of course because in protecting Sirius Black from the crimes he had committed against his brightest student, he had lost one of the smartest minds this generation had seen and he really could have used her way of thinking to help Harry bring down Voldemort.

Dumbledore sat and placed his head in his hands. He needed to get her back but without getting Sirius in trouble, the question was, how was he going to achieve that?

He knew he would have to speak to a certain young wizard with glasses.

Hermione was running through the castle and didn't stop until she had reached the astronomy tower. It was night now and the moon could be seen across the lake. She loved the moon; it was always a beautiful sight.

She sat there for goodness knows how long before noticing it was after curfew and having lost her prefect status, she could get into serious trouble.

She diligently made her way back towards Gryffindor tower and eventually made it to the portrait; she said the password and was granted access. There was nobody around except one dark haired wizard with glasses sat by the fireplace, seemingly fast asleep.

She deliberated on just leaving him before deciding that if anything happened to him, she would blame herself for not taking action.

She hesitantly walked over to Harry and shook his shoulder gently. Harry stirred and looked at her, his face going from gentle to spur in an instant.

"I thought I should wake you, it's not safe to be down here on your own Harry especially with how reckless Neville can be with the passwords" she tried to joke.

Harry almost let a smile crack through but didn't, Hermione saw this and knew he had his defences down.

"Well good night" she said as she headed for the stairs.

"Wait! Hermione!" He called after her. She paused and turned to face him.

"I don't mean to be so angry all the time, something has changed now that he's back and it's like I have no control over anything. Sirius is my safety net and I'm a little defensive about it all" he said almost apologetically.

"Harry, I get it, I really do. Look, I never asked to be placed there; it was all Dumbledore's arrangement. He forbade me from writing to you; he didn't want you to learn of anything that was going on because he didn't want to worry you where it wasn't necessary. I didn't want to go Harry, I didn't want to have my parents taken from me and me be placed in a house I don't know, with people I barely know. Then do you know what they did to me? They placed me in a room, next to Snape and we had to share a bathroom. Do you honestly think I would choose that over a happy summer holiday in France with my parents?" She told him honestly, only lying about the Snape part.

He looked guilty and felt sad at the way he had treated one of his best friends.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I know none of it was your fault and that you had no control over it but Ron and Ginny kept making hints and taking digs and they got into my head, you know" he said.

"Well Ron is a little hot headed and often makes comments that he doesn't realise he's making and no offence but, Ginny and I have never really got on. She would rather spend time with Lavender and Pavarti and laugh at me rather than laugh with me" she admitted with a small smile.

He invited her to sit next to him in front of the fire and she did, she had missed Harry really and she liked him when he was like this. She was stupid but she realised that if he asked her to, she would cut off her arm for him. She sighed, but Harry was practically a brother to her.

"Hermione, you don't have to answer if you don't want to and please don't get mad but this thing with Sirius-" Harry trailed off, not sure how to voice his question. But Hermione understood and she took a deep breath.

"Harry, I want you to understand that I don't have a crush on your godfather, I swear. The twins were making a joke and were being suggestive about some things but you know comments like that make me flush. When I flushed in front of them they assumed I had a crush on Sirius but I swear I don't Harry. Also, even if I did have a crush on him, I would never Harry because he is yours and I don't expect you to share someone so important in your life with me. But I don't like him Harry, trust me after some of the habits I witnessed, he could rival Ron with his manners" she told him.

Harry chuckled and then all the tension that had been weighing him down the last couple of weeks lifted.

"Hermione, can you ever forgive me?" he asked her.

Hermione hesitated.

"It may take a while Harry but I think eventually things will be alright" she told him.

He smiled at her "that's more than I expected to be honest" he admitted.

"Right, now get to bed, you only have tomorrow and then school starts and you need to be in your best mood and on your best behaviour for our class with the pink toad" Hermione told him in her usual bossy tone.

Harry cracked a grin and Hermione winked at him in humour and she turned and headed for her dormitory. The girls were asleep already when she got upstairs and it meant that Hermione could finally have a peaceful night's sleep.

Sunday morning saw Hermione sat in the great hall; it was early so there was hardly anyone around. She noticed the lovely weather outside and headed out to sit by her favourite tree.

"Alright Granger?" Malfoy said.

She looked at him and promptly hit him in the arm with one of her books.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He asked, rubbing his sore spot.

"For discussing my private life with Snape!" She hissed at him.

Draco looked at his new friend a little confused. He had spoken to his godfather and had been told that Snape had helped her the first time around. But, he clearly didn't know about the second time and Snape had clearly approached her about it. Draco grimaced.

"He came after you then?" Draco asked hesitantly, preparing himself for another book assault.

"Yes, he did" she said.

"Will you tell me what he said? I know my godfather and he rarely helps someone if it is not a serious situation. Yours obviously is a serious situation but he also told me about how you two stayed in rooms next to each other and some of the things he did for you. He said he thought of you as a friend, and that's an impressive feat let me tell you. He doesn't let people in easily and see that side of him, only the people that he trusts completely" Draco informed her.

Hermione gasped. Snape thought of her as a friend, he trusted her and enjoyed her company he had let her in to his closed heart. She was touched and she smiled like a loon.

"Hey Granger? You ok? You have a little bit of crazy on your face?" He said, mocking her Cheshire cat smile.

"Maybe the students got it wrong about having Black as a crush but maybe they were right when they said you had a thing for older men" he teased waggling his eyebrows at her.

She then hit him with her book, thrice and hard and glared at him. She actually made him back off ever so slightly.

'You did once stare at Snape's arse when he wore those snug jeans' she thought to herself.

'And you always feel overly comfortable when he's hugging and comforting you' she carried on in her head.

'And you love the smell of sandalwood, which is his scent' she admitted.

She snapped out of her thoughts but her face was a brilliant shade of red.

It was Draco's turn to smirk at her. He knew it! He knew his godfather was besotted with her, maybe not on a love scale but it was more than friends. Now, the know-it-all teacher's pet felt a similar way, crushing on her teachers.

"How scandalous" Draco told her. He dodged another book attack and got to his feet.

"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul" he promised her. She stared at him.

"Honestly, that area is none of my business" he vowed.

"However, I am slightly miffed that you overlooked this hunk right here and went straight for tall, dark and handsome" Draco teased at her.

"No offence Draco but we've only just become friends and I do like you but as a brother, I don't think I could ever look at you in that way" she told him gently, worried that she would wound his pride.

However, Draco wiped his eyebrow as if pretending to wipe off fake sweat.

"Phew! Thank Merlin for that!" He laughed at her.

She just stared at him like he had grown another head.

"If you were the last woman on this earth, I still wouldn't be with you" he informed her.

"Thanks! Just what every girl wishes to hear" she said somewhat jokingly with a hint of annoyance that he would say that.

Draco realised how it must have sounded to her and quickly explained himself.

"Sorry Hermione, I didn't mean it quite like that. I meant that, I'm not really into girls-" he trailed off, knowing she would realise.

The moment she did he knew it, her eyes widened in surprise and she couldn't help but think she had misheard him.

"You're gay?" She asked still trying to wrap her head around the concept.

He nodded worriedly that she would now turn against him.

"Well, you're gonna break a lot of girls hearts" she informed him, smiling, letting him know it was ok and she wouldn't turn away from him.

He grinned at her and the pair laughed.

"When did you find out or realise?" She asked him.

He shrugged "I've never really been interested in girls but I thought that was just because of how I was and that I've always been wound up but then I had these naughty rendezvous with this guy I meet whilst skiing in Switzerland this summer and I found out that I really liked a guy's company in bed more so than a females" he confided in her. He couldn't believe how easy she was to open up to, he hadn't even told his godfather yet and actually he didn't think he was going to talk about it to his godfather at all. He didn't want Severus to shun him and turn his back on him, Severus was the father he had never had and loved him no matter what he believed in or did.

"I will never say a word about your preferences, if you never say a word about mine" she told him seriously.

"Damn, you would make a good Slytherin" he told her but agreed to her terms.

"I spoke to Harry late last night, a proper conversation. No arguing, no accusations just talking, like we used to. He apologised and we spoke about what we were thinking and what we were feeling. I think he's just anxious about what's to come if I'm being honest" she told Draco.

Draco just nodded, he could understand just how much power the Dark Lord could have over someone and how he could control and manipulate people into doing what he wanted. His mood was turning sour at the thought, he needed to change the subject and fast.

"Ah Gryffindor's and their feelings" he teased her house. He received another whack by from the book.  
They sat like that for the rest of the day undisturbed and just being themselves, typical teenagers, laughing and joking about nothing and everything.

But now there were other things to think about, tomorrow was the beginning of a new school year after all.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Once again thank you all for reading and commenting on this story. I'm glad the majority of you like this story! I had some reviews about how the last chapter wasn't that great and how it appears to be fast paced. The next two chapters are a similar situation because, I think it's chapter 15, things start to change and the storyline gets better. I didn't really like these couple of chapters either but I needed to tie up loose ends, almost like filler chapters if you like. But, please stick with me because I promise things start to unravel soon and McGonagall comes into it a bit more. Many Thanks! :)**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Bad Language, mentions and discussions of rape and cutting**

 **Classes Begin, Unethical Detention's and Explosive Behaviour**

It was September 3rd and classes had gone well today, except for defence where they were introduced to their new professor and she immediately tore shreds off Harry.

They had just found out that they were not going to be learning any magic in defence and that it would all be mainly theory and no practical. Everybody had lost their shit and there were cries of outrage coming from all over the place. She couldn't believe this was really happening; Snape had prepared her for this when they had discussed the meaning of the ministry in referring at Hogwarts. But now it was real and it was a nightmare.

"Who would want to hurt young children, such as yourselves?" Pink and fluffy asked patronisingly.

"Voldemort" Harry stated firmly.

Hermione knew that Umbridge was in favour of accusing Harry of his crimes of using magic during the summer and the bitch was now letting everybody know exactly what she thought of the boy who lived.

"You've been told that this dark wizard has returned. But this is all a lie" Umbridge said a little more forcefully than before. You could tell she was getting irritated.

"It's not a lie" Harry had protested and had earned himself a detention. Actually, he and Hermione were to share a detention that coming Friday night. They had both heard that Umbridge had a unique punishment but neither knew what it was.

"What did you get detention for?" Harry had asked her. She made up something like being caught after curfew in the library.

"But I thought curfew was relaxed for prefects?" Harry asked.

She hesitated and made up the first thing she could think of.

"After everything that has happened and is going to happen, I thought my attention and time would be more use elsewhere than prefect duties. I gave up the role" she lied to him.

He looked surprised that she would do such a thing but believed her anyway. Hermione was thankful that he let the subject drop for now.

The first day had been tedious and they had been given lots of work and homework and research to do. Hermione expected this; it was OWL year after all and knew that this year would be a challenge.

One person however, was quite predictably constantly moaning about it. Hermione rolled her eyes, some things never changed.

"How am I supposed to fit in time for my social life now, there are Quidditch games and positions to play for. I can't do that and keep up with the workload they expect us to do" Ron grumbled.

Hermione waited expectantly.

"Say Mione-" he was immediately cut off by her scathing look.

"No Ronald, this year you're on your own, you won't get any help from me. You want to get good grades and have a social life? Well welcome to my world. Now you know why I had to sacrifice all those Hogsmeade visits and why I would rarely 'hang out' with you. Priorities Ron, I've had mine down since I started here" she told him.

Ron just glared at her and was angry that she was going to be no use to him this year.

"Fine" he snapped and pouted like a child. He went back to inhaling his dinner and Hermione went back to feeling slightly ill at watching him.

She was also glad that now Harry and Ron were talking to her again, the rumours had died down slightly and people were more concerned with Umbridge, who had begun sitting in on other professor's classes and taking notes and asking the professors rather personal questions. The ministry had taken things too far this time and it was going to come back and bite them in the arse when the students got fed up of the interference.

The next few days passed quickly and before Hermione knew it, it was Friday and she was walking down to the dungeons for her double potions lesson with the Slytherin's.

"Double potions? We're all screwed" Ron whined. The rest of the Gryffindor's felt the same way; they knew this wasn't going to be pretty.

They took their seats and waited for the inevitable.

The classroom door boomed open and the potions professor entered and walked stoically to the front of the class.

"Well? Get your books out and turn to page 26 and read through the introduction, you have five minutes" everyone immediately started reading.

'Amortentia?' Hermione thought. Wasn't that a NEWTs level potion? She was confused, but who was she to question the curriculum of professor Snape.

"Dumbledore has requested we learn this now as it has become more popular amongst enemies. Also, I hear a set of well-known twins have developed a love potion that works in a similar way. We will learn the effects and how to combat them. These will be different for everyone" he explained.

"Firstly, I will give a small sample to each table and you will write out what scents you come across first. These scents are what attract you most" he sneered almost disgustedly at the thought of it.

As soon as the sample was placed on her desk, Hermione immediately set to work and tried to decipher what she could pick up.

She eventually picked out three main scents, but knew there were others but couldn't quite work out.

The three scents she had picked out were.

\- Chocolate  
\- Mint  
\- Sandalwood

Hermione's heart skipped a beat, there was only one person she could think of, who smelled like all of those things and it caused her to panic internally.

Snape was making his rounds and stopped by her table and noticed that she was trying to subtly hide her piece of paper and was turning red in the face. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow in question when she refused to let the paper go.

He would find out.

"Right, now that you have found the scents that attract you to someone, your homework will be to research more about the potion itself. However, for now your instructions are on the board, this must be brewed before you are dismissed" the students hustled and bustled around, picking out the correct ingredients and starting the brewing process.

Once the students were done and had handed in their potions for marking, they began tidying their stations and packing up.

"Dismissed" he announced and students started to filter out.

"Except you Miss Granger" he added. She sighed, she had expected this.

"Yes Sir?" She asked once all the students had left and the door had closed.

"We have some things to discuss" he said pointedly looking towards her wrist.

"Sir, its lunch, now is really not the time-" she stopped when he raised his hand to silence her monologue.

"Which is why it's a good thing that you have to serve a detention with me. Tomorrow morning, Miss Granger, you will report here at 9am and we will spend the whole day replenishing the infirmary supplies. We will have all day Miss Granger, I suggest you rest and prepare yourself for an exhausting day" Snape told her. There was a promise in his voice that said they would be talking a lot about things, including how she got detention in the first place. She gulped nervously and nodded.

The rest of the day passed in a blur and she found herself heading towards Umbridge's office for her detention. She was going first and then Harry would serve his after her.

She knocked on the door and waited for invitation before she entered.

"Miss Granger, please sit. You're going to be writing lines for me tonight and it will hopefully send a message" she smiled tightly at Hermione.

Hermione didn't like this.

"How many times and what would you like me to write?" She asked her professor trying to be civil.

"Long enough for the message to sink in and I would like you to write 'I must not argue with my superiors, adults or otherwise'" she told her student.

Hermione's jaw dropped at the implication and she looked at her professor who was daring her to challenge the authority. So she picked up the quill provided for her and began to write.

She had written the line twice and had begun to feel this intense burning on the back of her left hand. She itched at it and noticed it had turned red, like a sudden rash had appeared on her skin.

She continued writing and the burning intensified. She looked at her hand once more and noticed that there were now marks there. She looked closer and found that the marks were letters, her writing; the lines she was writing were now engraving themselves into her skin. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. What type of magic was this?

"Everything alright dear? Do you understand? Some creatures should know their place, don't you think?" Umbridge asked her.

Without a word, Hermione collected her bag and left the room. She immediately headed for her common room, hoping to see Harry on the way to his detention but he wasn't there. She sighed as she sat in the bathroom and ran her hand under the cold water, hoping to cool the burn.

She waited up in front of the fire for Harry to come back. When he finally came in he looked at her and grimaced.

"Was yours as bad as mine?" He asked her.

They sat there, comparing their marks from detention and talking about the ruthlessness of Umbridge and how they feared she would try to take over the school.

Hermione soon said good night, she had to serve her detention with Snape tomorrow and she knew he was going to be brutal and take no lies from her.

The following morning at exactly 8:59, she knocked on the door and she was immediately given access to the room.

"Good morning, sit" he commanded. She hesitantly took a seat and waited in anticipation for him to continue.

"Now Miss Granger, I never want to see you wrists in that state ever again, am I clear? If you ever do something like that ever again, you will answer to me" he told her seriously.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened, I was on autopilot. It was exactly after the second time-" she broke off not dating to go further.

He looked at her sympathetically and nodded "understood" he said to her, letting her know she didn't have to continue if she didn't want to.

He looked at her and stopped when something else caught his eye.

"Your hand?" He asked and reached out to take a look. She let him and he observed her hand for a moment before exhaling.

"That damned woman" he muttered under his breath as he went to the cupboard and grabbed some healing salve for her.

He gently rubbed the salve into the wound and it looked less angry and even hurt less.

"Thank you" she whispered.

Snape tutted but didn't reprimand her for her thanks, he had given up trying that by now.

"Now, about how you ended up in detention with me today?" He asked her.

So she told him, the conversation that had occurred between her, Lupin and Dumbledore and how she had been forced to give up her prefect status when she refused to be just a minion for Dumbledore anymore.

Snape was shocked by what she was telling him and he couldn't believe that Dumbledore had taken things so far and done this to such a young, innocent girl.

He went over to her and knelt down in front of her chair where she was sat. He then hugged her and held onto her tight, trying to keep her from breaking into pieces. This girl had been dealt the worst hand of life he had ever had to witness.

She giggled and hugged him back, glad that she had him and breathed in the sandalwood, she blushed at the thought as she remembered yesterday's potion lesson and the scents she had listed from the Amortentia potion.

"You're quite red Miss Granger, anything to say?" He asked her, smirking and also wondering what could possibly have her look like that.

She flushed even more and intrigued Snape further; he raised his eyebrow expecting a response.

"You smell like sandalwood" she whispered.

Snape blinked, had he just heard her right?

She refused to say anything more and knew she needed a topic change so she went to the first thing she could think of.

"Harry and I are talking again" she said.

Snape let it go; he didn't want to think on what he had just heard the young witch say.

"That's a step forward" he told her.

She nodded and the topic switched again to talking about her newfound friendship with his godson and she readily answered all questions Snape had on that.

As they were making potions for the hospital wing they stole secret glances and swapped secret smiles at each other.

They eventually had lunch that Snape had summoned from the kitchens via a house elf and they sat in comfortable and ate.

They worked through the afternoon harmoniously and eventually the sun began to go down and they began packing up and they were mucking about again.

"To be honest my godson could pass for a vampire" Snape said jokingly, laughing at his godson's expense.

"Or a sexy Greek God with alabaster skin. He's like the male Aphrodite with that chest, let's be honest" she joked back.

Snape stopped and looked at her, all mirth gone from his eyes and now replaced with cold hard black stones.

Hermione took a step back slightly perturbed by the sudden shift in his emotions and waited for him to give her an explanation.

"It's time for you to go, Miss Granger" he told her.

"But-" she started but was cut off.

"Silence, Miss Granger. I have asked you to leave now get out" he yelled at her.

She looked at him shocked and tensed up. What was wrong with him? She didn't understand what she had done wrong. She questioned herself but things were happening too fast for her to assess.

"Why?" She whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out" he told her, she began backing up towards the door, more confused than ever.

"And try not to spread your legs for everyone on your way back to your dorm" he snarled.

Hermione gasped and there was a sharp pang in her chest, she let the tears fall and shook her head. Without saying anything else, she turned and fled the room.

She ran all the way to her tree and collapsed on the ground sobbing. She curled up into a ball and wished the world away.

"Hermione?" A voice asked hesitantly.

She looked up and saw Draco staring down at her worriedly.

"What happened?" He asked her.

"I don't know" she choked out.

"Tell me what happened" he demanded.

So she did. She told him about the whole day, how everything was fine until the last couple of minutes when Snape had turned. As she explained what had gone on and what had been said, realisation began to set in.

She didn't see it, but Draco did and he could understand what had happened.

"Come on, let's get you tidied up and get some dinner down you" he said. She followed.

After dropping her off at the great hall, Draco walked to his godfather's office and hammered on the door. Snape opened up and allowed him in.

"What is the meaning of this Draco?" Snape asked his godson, not in the mood for this.

Draco just grinned at him and waited for his godfather's patience to snap.

It didn't take long.

"What are you grinning at boy? Are you here to gloat about how you have made a conquest out of Miss Granger in her fragile state?" He sneered.

Draco's grin widened and Snape was so close to slapping him for it.

"I knew it" Draco said.

Snape stared at his godson.

"I knew you fancied her" Draco stated.

"I don't know what you are referring to" Snape told him.

"Yes you do! You fancy Hermione Granger and you are jealous of what she said about me earlier, I knew you liked her! I'm not stupid!" Draco exclaimed happily, his godfather and new friend had mutual feelings for each other.

"You do not know what you speak of boy" Snape seethed as he grabbed the boy by the shoulders and shook him.

"Oh no? Well the girl you fancy had an emotional breakdown earlier because of your comments. She's convinced that you hate her, think her a whore and no longer have any desire to see or talk to her ever again" Draco informed him.

Snape started "What? Really?" He asked his godson, calming for a moment, trying to gather his sanity.

Draco brushed himself off and nodded at him as he headed towards the door to let himself out.

"By the way, I would never go for her. She would never spread her legs for everyone, you know that you arse! I would start apologising and begging for forgiveness if I were you" he told his godfather.

Snape just stared at him "and you would never seduce her or make her your lover?" Snape asked Draco.

Draco shook his head.

"Nope, I would never seduce her or sleep with her. In fact I wouldn't sleep with any girl. I'm gay godfather" Draco informed Snape and then left the office slamming the door behind him.

Snape threw a bunch of books at the wall in rage and then sunk down to the floor with his head in his hands.

He regretted what he had said to her, how he had treated her and how he hand handled the situation. Of course he knew she would never do what he accused her of. On top of that, his godson was gay and so nothing would ever happen between the two teens anyway.

How long had Draco known that he was gay?

Why didn't Draco confide in Snape about it?

He sighed as tears formed and rolled down his cheeks "Hermione forgive me" he whispered to the silence of his office.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Once again thank you all for your comments! :)...there were some remarks about one particular part of the previous chapter. I would just like to remind you all that this story is based on true events. If you don't like what I'm writing and the way I write, then don't read this story. Like I have said before, many people have different reactions to situations of sexual assault. Some people just shut themselves away, some people feel like they're fine and then breakdown, some people carry on as normal and the emotional repression manifests later on in life. Like I said, this is based on a TRUE STORY, told through the characters of JK Rowling. (Read my A/N from the beginning of chapter 10). Many Thanks dear readers! :)**

 **A/N – Chapter Warning – Bad Language, mentions of suicide and sexual assault**

 **The Astronomy Tower, The Greenhouse and The Dungeons**

Hermione was stood in the great hall, the last thing that she wanted to do right now was eat. She quickly fled the hall before anyone could see her. She wondered where Draco had gone to and went in search of him.

After walking around for what seemed like hours, she gave up, she couldn't find him and that was a dangerous thing.

Being alone gave her more time to think about what had happened earlier. Snape had not spoken to her in that tone for a long time. She only really got that treatment when she spoke out of turn in class. When she was being reprimanded and talked down to as if she was nothing more than an irritating child.

He told her not to spread her legs. She didn't want to spread her legs in the first place and now he was using that against her. What had she done wrong? She had tried replaying the conversation out in her mind and couldn't even think about why a comment about Draco would cause such a reaction.

She was only making a comment, she didn't mean any harm. Maybe he had not appreciated her talking about his godson in such a way. After all Severus had been Draco's godfather longer than he had been her friend. She also knew that in Slytherin it was family loyalty above everything else. Maybe she should apologise for what she had said, even though she didn't quite understand what was going on.

Hermione realised where her feet had taken her and she began climbing the stairs. She loved coming up here, it was her second sanctuary, the library being her first, and she loved looking at the stars as if every star could tell a separate story.

Hermione was sat miserably in the astronomy tower. She wanted to be alone, no one would want to be with her anyway. She was a whore and that was that.

Severus had called her out on whorish behaviour, Draco would me next and then she would lose what fragile relationship she had with Harry and the others and then she would be alone.

Dark thoughts began creeping in again as she looked down from the tower. If she jumped no one would care, if she jumped no one could stop her, if she jumped she would have no more problems.

Without realising, she had stood up and climbed over the other side of the railing. She just teetered there, as if she was letting the wind decide her fate. She could feel the cool autumn breeze, feel the calm breeze and she opened her eyes and took in the sight before her. This place was truly beautiful and she was proud to call this place her home.

She sighed, still stood dangerously close to the edge and she prepared herself to jump.

All of a sudden, her death was ripped away from her and she was pulled up and over the rail by strong arms.

She squealed at the sudden contact and began wriggling, trying to break free.

"Hermione! Stop! You're going to hurt yourself if you're not careful. What the hell do you think you are playing at" he exclaimed, shocked at what he had just prevented.

Hermione whirled around to face the person who had-. She wasn't sure whether he had done her a favour or caused her more misery.

"Neville, I'm sorry" she mumbled.

Hermione looked at Neville's face and noticed that it was void of any colour and he was looking at her with such an intense expression on his face that she didn't know what to do.

"What's wrong with you lately? You've been acting odd ever since we got back to school" Neville stated.

Neville had obviously heard the rumours about her, but he didn't believe them for a second. Hermione was his first friend, his first crush and he was going to give her the benefit of the doubt and the chance to explain her actions.

"I've just been through a lot Neville, nothing to worry about" Hermione said him trying to shrug it off as if it were nothing.

"Nothing to bloody worry about?!" Neville exploded.

"Hermione, had I not swapped rounds tonight, you'd be a bloody pancake now!" he said, realising what could have been had he not come up to the tower.

He sat the girl down on the floor and then he sat himself next to her.

Hermione was looking at the floor ashamed of her actions. It had been the same feeling she had when she had cut herself, it was automatic and she had been feeling numb. It was better to feel pain than nothing at all. Wasn't it?

Her eyes welled up and Neville recoiled and regained his control. He didn't want to upset her further, she was clearly in a delicate state and he had no idea how to help. He decided to take on a gentle approach.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" He asked her quietly.

Hermione looked at Neville, she wanted to tell him but she knew he would be a big risk and so decided to tell him what she could without telling him the whole truth.

"Something happened over the summer, something bad and I've been having difficulties getting over it. It's had an impact on me and sometimes I just think that things would get better if I didn't know they had happened. The easiest way to that is to...well you got a first-hand viewing of that" she told him.

He knew she was holding back but he didn't press her any further. He decided to just let her talk, she would tell him if she was ready.

"And with everything that's going on here, the rumours, most of my friends freezing me out and the stress of everything going on this year, it's just really difficult. I didn't mean to scare you Neville, I'm sorry" she said pathetically, knowing that it wouldn't justify her near death.

"I don't believe a word of anything that's being said and I don't agree with what's going on. But I think things will get better this year Hermione and if you ever need to talk, you can open up to me" he told her, hoping that she would talk to him before leaping to her death.

"Thanks Neville, I will be fine" she told him.

Neville just looked at her "and I'm supposed to take that as gospel coming from a girl who nearly threw herself off the astronomy tower" he questioned her seriously.

Hermione opened her mouth to object.

"SHE NEARLY DID WHAT?" a voice yelled from the doorway.

The teens jumped up and automatically drew their wands in warning at the sudden intrusion and turned to face the doorway.

Draco Malfoy was stood in the doorway, clearly on his prefect rounds of the castle and he had stumbled across two Gryffindor's and the conversation he had overheard had been most perturbing. Draco glared at his new friend, hoping that he had heard wrong.

"Well? Is it true?" Draco asked her.

She looked down at her feet and that was all she needed to do to confirm his worst fears.

"Longbottom, leave" Draco growled at the cowering boy. Neville straightened up, ready to tell Malfoy to piss off, there was no way he was about to leave Hermione, in her state, on her own with the silver prince, the snake.

Hermione saw this and quickly stepped in "It's ok Neville, honestly. Please go, I'm sorry for everything and for scaring you. It was a moment of weakness and I shouldn't have let it happen. Draco won't cause me any harm, I will be fine. I need to speak to him anyway" Hermione said to her oldest and dearest friend.

Neville gave her a curious glance and she gave him a reassuring nod in return. Not wanting to do so, Neville made his move to leave the tower.

"Neville! Please don't tell anyone about this" Hermione called after him. She didn't need any more rumours being spread. Neville agreed and left the tower. Hermione knew that he would keep her secrets, she trusted him completely and didn't doubt him for a second when he promised to keep everything that had happened up here tonight, a secret.

After Neville had gone, Draco looked at Hermione once again. He had his arms crossed and he was staring at her waiting for an explanation.

She sighed "A moment of weakness Draco, I nearly jumped off this tower tonight and believe me, I really wanted to" she confided in him.

Draco breathed out, giving up on his angry stance and practically tackled Hermione to the ground with the ferocity that he threw his arms around her and gave her a hug.

"I know what happened today was rough, but don't you ever do that to me ever again! I mean it Granger, I will find a way to bring you back just so I can kill you myself if you accomplish your aims next time" he warned her, half angry and half panicked at how close he had come to losing her.

She giggled at his protectiveness but also realised the severity of the situation and kept apologising for her behaviour.

Draco naturally forgave her and they sat on the astronomy tower for a while and just watched to stars and the moon in a comfortable silence until they separated for the night to go back to their houses.

A couple of weeks later, Hermione Granger opened her eyes and immediately felt nostalgic. Today was her sixteenth birthday (well, without the use of the time turner anyway. She was probably about 16 years and 8 months old…ish) and she wasn't sure how she really felt. The last two weeks had been a whirlwind, trying to get into a routine with all her classes and homework. Her friendships with Draco, Neville, Harry and Ron were getting stronger every day. The rumours had completely died down and everyone was now interested in the new Professor Umbridge and what exactly her motives were. They were also talking about the new Weasley products that had begun circulating around the school and who had missed the most lessons. Everybody was now fully concentrating on their studies and the 'scandalous affairs of Hermione Granger' had become old gossip. Nobody talked about her anymore, they decided just to ignore her instead and Hermione had never felt so satisfied at this.

The only shadow that remained in her life was the absence of her Professor Snape, he had been avoiding her and she thought that it was because of her. Draco had tried to convince her that it was other reasons that had caused Snape to shout at her but he refused to tell her exactly what had happened and because of this, Hermione still believed that it was because of her.

The other thing that was making her sad on her birthday was the absence of her parents. She had no idea how they were, or where they were and she didn't get many reports on them just snippets of them being ok. She hadn't been able to communicate with them for about six weeks and with everything that had been going on recently, she felt homesick and wished nothing more than for her mum to be there to talk to.

She had been rebuilding her friendships with her friends and it meant that Hermione spent her birthday with them (obviously Malfoy spoke with her separately) and she had an enjoyable day overall. She received some gifts and she even got a mystery parcel delivered to her that she promised to open later.

She looked at the label attached to the gift and saw the phrase _'Happy Birthday'_ in handwriting that she recognised very quickly. She looked up towards the head table at Snape, he wasn't looking at her but he gave a nod of acknowledgement when no one was looking. She opened the gift and found a new leather journal that she loved but could never afford and she also got chocolate. She instantly loved her gifts and smiled, completely uplifted in spirits.

Another development was that on October 1st, her Prefect status was discreetly reinstated, upon seeing that Hermione, Ron and Harry were getting along again, Dumbledore decided that Hermione could have her responsibilities back. Hermione almost refused but knew that her Prefect duties would distract her from morbid thoughts, should they come back at any time.

She had been getting back into routine and her grades had picking up in classes. She was beginning to feel slightly normal again, she knew she wasn't all the way there yet but she was at the start and she felt that it could really only go up from here. The weather was changing and it was no longer all that warm out, it was as if the summer had left for another year and Hermione felt overjoyed because with winter coming, there was no way to be reminded of the summer and its hot days and bright evenings. Instead it was cold and the nights were darker and Hermione couldn't be more thrilled.

About two weeks later, around October 16th at early evening, Hermione and Neville out in the greenhouse, they were picking plants that had to be picked at a particular time at night, Neville had promised Professor Sprout that he would do so and Hermione offered to help. It would get her out of the castle for a little while at least.

"So how are you?" Neville asked as they worked, he wanted to ensure that her mental state was stable and that she really was alright.

"I'm always alright" she replied, trying to make light of the conversation. Neville wasn't having it, he was not going to let her play it off like that.

"No offense Hermione a few weeks ago you nearly jumped off the astronomy tower. I'm really worried about you" he told her seriously.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak.

"What did you just say Longbottom?" said a low and angry voice from behind them.

The students turned.

Neville almost pissed himself there and then. He had never seen his potions professor look so wild and angry. Neville began stuttering trying to compose a response.

"Er-we..." he tried nervously.

"What did you just say?" Snape said, tone cold and anger just below the surface. He was looking at his worst student.

Neville clearly didn't answer quickly enough and Snape focused his attention on Hermione.

"Is it true?" Snape glared at her, nostrils flaring in anger.

Hermione couldn't speak so she nodded instead.

Without taking his eyes off the girl he snapped at Neville.

"Boy, get out of here" he said

Neville hesitated and glanced at Hermione. Hermione tried to smile reassuringly and Neville fled the greenhouse.

After a few moments of Snape just staring at her, Hermione was beginning to get worried. She didn't know what was going to happen next.

Snape grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of greenhouse and back towards the school. He then frogmarched her to the dungeons and practically threw her into his office. He locked and warded the door and he forced her into the chair that was adjacent to his desk.

Hermione felt sick, she was pale and shaking. She had eaten quite a lot at dinner, she couldn't remember the last time she even ate that much in one sitting but Snape was making her so nervous that her dinner was threatening to make a quick reappearance and she was feeling very faint.

Snape stood and stared at her for a moment before sighing and then he sat down.

"You nearly jumped from the astronomy tower" he stated.

Hermione nodded.

"Why?" He asked.

"I don't want to be in a world where you think of me as a whore" she told him.

He stopped "that's no excuse. Everyone has been spreading rumours for weeks. Now you're telling me that it is because of me that you attempt to commit a selfish act?" he told her.

"You're the first one to think of me as a whore and know my whole story. The rest of the student body haven't a clue what's really going on. But you do and yet you insinuated that I was a whore. I've never been so insulted, not even when I was being insulted. You're the one person I thought would never-" she whispered, tears forming once again. She was trying hard not to show weakness.

Snape relented and felt bad. He knew he had cocked up that day, he knew he had done wrong and he would never have guessed that this would have been her reaction. It scared the shit out of him to even think about what he had nearly caused.

"You're all I've got at the moment, besides Draco, who knows my story and is still willing to be around me. When you said that to me, I didn't know what to do, I went into automatic mode and the next thing I know is Neville is dragging me back to safety behind the railings" she told him.

Snape didn't know what to say, or what to do. He was just staring at her, he knew he should apologise but he had no clue how to even begin.

"Don't worry, I wanted to thank you for my birthday gift and I promise that what nearly happened that night, it won't happen again" she said as she dismissed herself and headed towards the door.

"I was jealous" Snape blurted out.

Hermione spun to face him confused. What could he possibly be jealous about?

"Of what?" she asked.

"When you made that comment about Draco, I was jealous. I-I had hoped that you might-. I wanted to tell you-" he stuttered, not having a clue what to say, how to finish. But Hermione understood him and tried to help him.

"You were jealous because I made a joke about Draco? As in, your godson who would never look at me in that way because of him being-" she cut off and cursed herself, she had nearly betrayed her friends secrets.

"I know about him. He told me when he came to rip into me after I had snapped at you. Yes, I was jealous. I, I care about you, in a way that I probably shouldn't but I do. I want to give you the world but I have nothing good to offer. It upset me knowing that I can't give you what you deserve but someone like Draco, someone better could. I got angry at my own selfishness and I took that anger out on you. Also, I have never been more thankful for the existence of Neville bloody Longbottom because had he not been there that night-" he was full of emotion and couldn't finish his thought because the near severity of the situation was destroying him.

Hermione stared at him in disbelief. She knew she had a crush on her potions professor but for him to return, even consider returning, her affections.

"You-you want to-" she didn't know what to say.

He nodded "I have the worst timing, I can't fight it anymore. I want to be more than a friend to you but I would never act on it if you refused. I'm old, I'm hideous, I'm the greasy bat of the dungeons and you are this shining siren and it destroys me, I could never be enough for you and not only that, you are underage, acting upon this would make me worse than…him" he poured his heart out to her. There he had told her, in a typically Snape way, that he had more than friendly feelings for her.

She walked towards him, mesmerised by his words. She took his face in her hands and stroked his cheeks lightly with her fingers.

"You think you're old, you think you are hideous but do you know what I think?" She asked him.

He waited, bracing himself for the rejection he had been used to his whole life.

Hermione smiled "I think I've finally found my Colonel Brandon" she whispered as she closed her eyes and placed a light and gentle kiss on his lips.

 **A/N: Remember this story is based on TRUE EVENTS, if you don't like/can't accept the series of events that are unfolding, then you are criticising the way a real person is trying to recover/move on from such horrific events. If you don't like it then don't read it! Many thanks!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Chapter Warnings – Sexual situations, bad language, discussions of rape, suicide and cutting**

 **The Kiss, McGonagall and a Brutal Slap**

She stood on her tiptoes and placed a light and gentle kiss on his lips. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his hands had automatically gone to her back and one hand had even roamed down to her waist as he lost himself in the kiss, forgetting that she was a student. In this moment it was just two friends, who had strong feelings for each other, testing their desire. It was breath-taking and fleeting and Snape's heart rate had sped up and he was stunned by her reaction to him and he felt his cheeks warm and he flushed red as she pressed her body against his so that he could feel every single curve that her body possessed. He was mortified at the possibility that his breath was probably disgusting.

He had no time to think about that though, he had other matters that required his attention. The man had not had any female contact in so long, that his body was reacting to the light kiss as if he was a pubescent teen that needed to wank at least ten times a day. He shifted his hips trying to keep her from noticing the tent that was in his trousers. He could feel the thick material of her jumper brushing up against him and he had to hold his breath and clench his toes to keep himself from cumming in his trousers like a teenager. His breathing had laboured as he fought his body's natural urge to rut against the cradle of her hips.

Then reality crept in like a slap to the face. He was kissing his student, his underage student and he began to panic, he quickly but gently pushed her away and he moved to the other side of the room.

"This can't happen" he mumbled regrettably when he saw her frown. He was still battling his body; he would definitely need some private time once she had left.

Hermione's eyes were wide; she couldn't believe that she had just kissed her professor, her friend, her saviour. What was she playing at?

She was mortified but on another level she was satisfied. She had been thinking about this for some time. Hermione logically knew that it was wrong to kiss her professor, he could get into trouble and so could she. She knew that although she was of consenting age in muggle world, she was still underage in the wizarding world; even after using the time turner.

Hermione looked at Severus with a slightly panicked expression, hoping that he wasn't going to shut her out again. This was the first time she had felt any desire to be intimate with a man since her assault and she wasn't going to let anything change her mind about this. She had wanted to kiss him, in fact, she had wanted to do much more than kiss him.

Severus sighed "I meant what I said to you, every single word but if anyone were to find out about this, we would both be forced from the castle and we both have too important roles to play in this coming war. We need to be here." He said gently, almost as if the words pained him.

Hermione cleared her throat before she spoke "I'm sorry for putting you in that position, I initiated the kiss after all. But I'm not going to apologise for kissing you, I've wanted to do that for a while now and I want to do it again one day. I also want to thank you for what you said to me, you opened up to me, told me the truth and I can think of no one more perfect than you, that I would want to spend the rest of life with" she said.

Severus was shocked, although he hid it well, no one had ever willingly wanted to be intimate with him, he had his reputation of the greasy dungeon bat and that alone normally kept people away. This young woman was something else entirely and for one shining moment he wanted to pick her up, apparate to a secure location far away from the countryside of Scotland and live a life together, a normal, happy life.

But unfortunately, life doesn't always work that way and Severus was too old, had seen too much to believe that dreams and fairy-tale like stories come true.

Severus didn't know how to respond to what she had said to him. He wanted to tell her that he wanted to do this again with her but he didn't think he could say it without feeling like a perverted cradle snatcher so instead he smiled a beaming smile at her, hoping that she understood that what she had said had made him so unbelievably happy.

It worked, Hermione's eyes welled up in happiness and she smiled back at him with his favourite smile.

He paused for a moment "Colonel Brandon, eh?" He questioned jokingly.

Hermione flushed bright red, she hadn't meant to say that, it was impulsive and it had left her lips before she could think about it. Colonel Brandon, her favourite character from her favourite book. Severus, obviously equally intellectual, knew exactly what she was talking about and smirked at her. He could cope with being compared to Colonel Brandon; he had been compared with much worse in the past so he wasn't complaining. Although, he was surprised to know she thought of him like that. The book character was an unsung hero, a man who had lived, loved and lost and found love again in a young woman who was the most beautiful goddess he had seen. He felt his heart swell at the thought that she saw him that way.

They were suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. Snape went and opened it, the door opened to reveal that a sheepish Harry was stood on the other side of it.

"What do you want Potter?" Snape sneered at the young boy.

"Ummm, I was looking for Hermione, Professor McGonagall wants to see us in her office" Harry said.

"And how on earth did you know that you would find Miss Granger here?" Snape asked.

"I was told by another student that Hermione was seen walking down here, she mentioned a project that she was doing for you so I guessed this would be where I would find her" Harry lied, hopefully convincingly. He didn't want to reveal that he had actually found her by looking at the Marauders map.

Snape looked at the boy suspiciously, Snape had never trusted the boy and the boy had never trusted him, and that was perfectly fine with Snape. He could live without the need of Potters approval. However, Snape didn't believe the boys lies about how he knew where to find the Gryffindor princess and was about to question the boy further, before docking points off him for skulking around where he wasn't supposed to be. Hermione sensed this and didn't want Severus learning about the map, no matter how much she trusted him, and so she tried to think of a quick excuse to stop Severus' interrogation.

"Yes, Neville was with me earlier when Professor Snape approached me, I was late coming down here to talk to the professor about a project I am interested in working on. Did Professor McGonagall tell you why she wanted to see us?" Hermione asked her friend.

"No, she just told us to meet her in her office" Harry said.

Hermione turned to the potions master "May I be excused sir? It appears my head of house wants to see me, would we be able to continue this discussion another time?" She asked Severus politely.

Severus nodded "Look for my owl Granger" he said, back in his strict and authoritative tone.

She walked out and the door slammed shut behind them.

The two students then made their way to the office of their head of house.

"What project you working on Mione?" Harry asked her.

"Not sure yet, I have a range of topics that I want to work on but I'm unsure which one to go for, which is why I was asking Professor Snape. I want to be a Mediwitch and you need a potions mastery qualification for that so I was seeking advice. He's been rather compliant shockingly" Hermione half lied, half told the truth.

She wanted to be a Mediwitch one day but she wasn't currently working on a project with Severus, she had been kissing him instead.

Harry dropped the subject as they walked down the corridor that took them to professor McGonagall's office, they knocked and waited to be invited in.

Once in Professor McGonagall's office, they were sat down and waiting for their beloved head of house to talk to them.

"Potter, I heard you shouted at Professor Umbridge? Called her a liar?" the Professor asked him in her stern, Scottish accent.

Harry hesitated "yes professor" he said slowly, cautiously, thinking about how much trouble he might get in for his disrespect.

To both the students' surprise, the Professor smiled "Good lad Potter would you like a biscuit?" She offered him with a wink.

Both students grinned at each other, knowing that the most respected in the castle also hated the toad. This meant more support for the students.

"I just wanted to warn you both that Umbridge has sanctioned an 'inquisitorial squad' basically to be her eyes and ears all over the castle. She's offering rewards for any information they can find. The squad is mainly formed of Slytherin's so just be cautious about what you do and what you say. I need you to get word out to the others in our house so that there are no consequences. Am I clear?" McGonagall explained to her two favourite students.

Harry and Hermione quickly agreed and that was all that was said. McGonagall spoke with Harry briefly before dismissing him, leaving just Hermione and her head of house.

"Now Miss Granger, I had been informed, a couple of weeks ago, by the Headmaster to issue you with a detention. I did not do so as the headmaster could not give me a reason for doing so and also, it is unlike you to receive detention. In fact, you have been very aloof in your classes and other teachers have mentioned your lack of enthusiasm in class. Care to tell me what is going on with you?" the professor asked her favourite student.

Hermione bit her lip, she wanted to spill everything right there, tell her professor everything that had been going on. She was also thankful that Dumbledore had kept the issue regarding her prefect status being revoked and then reinstated a secret, she wouldn't have known what to say if she had been questioned on it. Harry was suspicious as it was, she had told him she had turned down the position and then changed her mind, and she felt guilty for lying to him but was grateful that her friend was gullible.

Hermione was also scared, she didn't want McGonagall to accuse her of lying or think her a harlot. She didn't want McGonagall to go to Dumbledore and get in even more trouble for telling someone and trying to get help from someone who was a mother figure to her.

"No Professor, you are mistaken, there is nothing wrong and there is nothing going on that I would class concerning" Hermione said, trying to be convincing.

Her professor sighed "your hesitation suggests otherwise Miss Granger. Look, I've heard the rumours that have been circulating since you students came back and forgive me Miss Granger, but I must ask, are you pregnant?" McGonagall asked in a warm, mothering tone.

Hermione was saddened that her head of house felt the need to ask such a question and it just made her even angrier at the foul gossip that everyone had spread about her.

Hermione shook her head "No professor, I'm not" Hermione told her honestly.

"What about this business with you and Sirius Black over the summer?" McGonagall asked her.

Hermione swallowed and tried to find the right words.

Again, Hermione's hesitation led to McGonagall drawing her own conclusions from the young girl's silence.

"It is true, isn't it Miss Granger? You have been fooling around with Mr Black all summer" McGonagall looked at her student in sincere disapproval.

Hermione mumbled and McGonagall had to focus to hear her.

"Speak up girl, if you have something to say then say it" McGonagall stated sternly.

"It wasn't consensual" Hermione whispered.

McGonagall paused "what did you say dear?" She asked, hoping she had misheard the girl.

"I wasn't a willing participant" Hermione said a little louder.

McGonagall was in two minds, she automatically wanted to say that she didn't believe her student, that she couldn't believe something so awful could take place under the Order's protection. However, she knew her young cub and knew that she wouldn't lie about something like this.

"Are you saying that Sirius Black sexually assaulted you whilst you were staying at Grimmauld Place this summer?" McGonagall asked.

Hermione chewed on her lip and nodded.

"Are you certain it wasn't consented?" McGonagall asked.

Hermione was insulted "Madame, he came into my room when I was sleeping, he was drunk, he pinned me to the bed and had his way with me. Then threatened me not to tell anyone or there would be consequences. He then came back for a second round, the night before we got on the Hogwarts Express" Hermione said sharply.

"Merlin! Does anyone else know about this?" McGonagall asked, moving to place a comforting arm around the girl.

Hermione nodded. McGonagall was getting angrier, she wanted to maim Black for what he had done and maim anyone else who knew for not telling her. As the girls head of house she has the right to be informed of such developments. How dare she be kept out of the loop!

Hermione sensed the older woman's anger and hesitantly backed away not knowing if there was going to be an explosion or not.

McGonagall saw the girl's frightened look and forced herself to calm down. It wasn't fair on the girl.

"I'm not angry at you Miss Granger. Why don't we go to my quarters where we can talk with less eyes and ears around us?" McGonagall questioned as she steered the girl in the direction of her rooms.

They sat on the comfortable sofa and Hermione told McGonagall everything.

"The people who know are Professor Snape, Draco Malfoy, Remus and the Headmaster" Hermione told her.

McGonagall froze "you mean to tell me that the headmaster knew that one of my students had been harmed and did not think to inform me?" She queried.

"Dumbledore said that Harry needed Black to be a role model and father figure. That the bond they shared would keep Harry focused on his task and that I wasn't to talk to anyone about what had happened. I told Remus just before we got the train back to Hogwarts he wanted to believe me but at the same time believe his oldest friend was innocent and so went to Dumbledore about it. I got told off by Dumbledore for telling Remus, stripped of my prefect badge and given the three detentions. Draco saw my bruises on the train and has been helping me ever since. Professor Snape was staying in the room next to me at Grimmauld and heard my night terrors, he got me to tell him and he took me to a muggle hospital to repair the physical damage the assault had caused me. Professor Snape has been my confidante in all of this, he has been really kind" Hermione confided in her head of house.

McGonagall had gone devil red and had become angrier throughout Hermione's explanation and by the end of it she was almost purple and Hermione was sure her head of house had burst a vein and steam should be coming out of her head of houses ears.

Noticing the girl looking at her with worry the head of house took a deep breath and calmed for a moment.

"Forgive me Miss Granger I just need a moment to compose myself. I shall be back in a few moments, feel free to look at any of my books, pour another tea and have some more biscuits and cakes. Dear child, don't worry about a thing. I will protect you and help you. You should have come to me sooner. You could have written me an owl when this first happened during the summer, I would've been there in a heartbeat" the old woman hugged the girl and then vacated the room in order to calm herself down.

Meanwhile Snape had been called up to Dumbledore's office. They had received intelligence that there had been a breakout from Azkaban courtesy of Voldemort.

"Bellatrix Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, Mulciber and seven other known death eaters have escaped. He's trying to build up his ranks by getting his strongest and most loyal followers back" Dumbledore told Snape.

Snape said nothing and nodded at the old man. They knew this was going to happen but they didn't realise it was going to happen this soon.

"They're accusing Sirius Black of helping as he escaped Azkaban himself" Dumbledore noted from the article in the 'Daily Prophet'.

Snape's hand clenched at the mention of Black's name. He still wanted to kill the dog that had caused harm to his favourite young witch.

He soon turned his attention back to the matter at hand. The men sat and discussed strategy and their next moves and Severus promised to pay closer attention at the death eater meetings and keep the Order informed on what was being planned for these escapees.

There was a sudden bang as the door to the headmaster's office was flung open with such a force that it left a dent in the brickwork behind it.

Both men turned to attention at the intrusion and came face to face with a red faced, angry, scary, old Scottish woman.

"HOW DARE YOU ALBUS DUMBLEDORE?" She screamed at the headmaster as she strode towards him.

Severus looked surprised, his jaw hung open and his eyes wide at the scene that was unfolding before his eyes.

Dumbledore wasn't so lucky; he didn't have time to look surprised as the angry Scottish woman approached him and gave him the most brutal slap across his face. His head snapped forcefully to the side and was sure to leave a wicked bruise.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Chapter Warnings – Sexual situations, bad language, discussions of rape, suicide and cutting**

 **A/N: Thank you for all your continued support, I'm glad you're all enjoying this story! :)**

 **Dumbledore vs. McGonagall and a Night in Severus' Rooms**

Severus watched as the older woman got three more strikes on the headmaster and narrated what each one was for.

SMACK! "That's for letting the filth get away with it"

SMACK! "That is for forcing her to keep quiet and punishing her for trying to get help"

SMACK! "That is for not informing me you monster"

"What the hell is wrong with you Albus?" She screeched like a banshee at him.

Dumbledore and Severus stood before the deputy head not really sure what was going on. Minerva cut Dumbledore a scathing glare before whirling around on, and approaching, Severus who for the first time in a long time, began to sweat out of nervousness.

"And you! Why did you not tell me Severus?" McGonagall asked sternly as she stalked towards him.

McGonagall may have been short but she was scary as hell and could raise an eyebrow in challenge like no other and Severus began to stutter.

"I-I don't q-quite understand M-Madame" he said nervously but telling the truth. Dumbledore was still stood behind his desk stunned and in disbelief at the events that were currently taking place in his office.

As Minerva approached him, Severus closed his eyes in anticipation of paying the price that Dumbledore had just moments ago for whatever it was that they had done wrong. Minerva would never act in such a way unless the person on the receiving end truly deserved it. He braced himself for the onslaught of slaps and winced in preparation.

He startled when he felt a feminine hand being delicately placed on his left cheek and lips giving him a motherly kiss on the right cheek.

He relaxed and opened his eyes and stared at the older witch in front of him.

"I'm proud of you Severus. You're a good man, thank you" she said gently to him before patting his shoulder twice.

Severus was uncertain as to what was going on. He had never seen the witch so pissed off at the headmaster before and it worried him that there was something seriously wrong. Something he had missed.

Minerva turned back to Dumbledore "Albus, let's talk about Hermione Granger and her questionable summer holiday at Grimmauld Place" Minerva growled challengingly.

Severus' eyebrows shot up to his hairline for a moment. How on earth could Minerva have known about that? His guess was the Hermione had finally cracked and told her head of house.

'Good' he thought to himself.

The girl needed support and she knew that the student and her head of house idolised each other and shared a relationship akin to mother and daughter. If Hermione had told McGonagall about the summer and had also informed the older witch that Dumbledore had tried to keep it all hushed up and stop her from ruining his plans, then Albus Dumbledore was royally fucked. Minerva was probably seconds away from hexing off Dumbledore's balls and wearing them as earrings.

Then Snape let a Cheshire cat grin appear on his face, he turned to the headmaster looking triumphant with a nasty smirk on his lips and Snape had to stop himself from laughing at Dumbledore's nervous expression. Minerva had found out about what Dumbledore had tried to cover up.

'This ought to be good' he thought gleefully to himself. Although, he was slightly miffed that he didn't get at the headmaster first but he had promised Hermione he wouldn't do anything and his promise to her was more important to him than satisfying his own emotions and dealing with Albus and Black.

"DAMN THAT GIRL!" Albus snapped furiously, breaking the quill he was holding and sending ink spraying everywhere. His two colleagues stared at him in stunned silence as he threw an almost childish temper tantrum in his office, pouting at the turn of events. It was also very clear that the composed headmaster of Hogwarts was mightily pissed off.

"I TOLD HER TO KEEP HER MOUTH SHUT, HAS SHE NO SELF-CONTROL? I TOOK HOUSE POINTS, HER PREFECT BADGE AND I ISSUED HER DETENTIONS BECAUSE SHE PEACHED TO OTHERS. WHAT MUST IT TAKE TO SHUT HER UP?" he yelled out.

Minerva stared at him shocked and appalled, this was Dumbledore showing his true colours and it was an awful thing to see really. He wanted to do things for 'the greater good' but it often meant a huge sacrifice in return.

Whilst Minerva was lost in her thoughts, Severus had stepped forward, a scowl gracing his face and it was taking every ounce of control to not hex the headmaster.

"Albus, what you have done to the girl is entirely unfair. She hates herself and her body, she's suicidal, she doesn't know who she can and can't trust, she's isolated and there are whispers about her all day, albeit they are not as bad now as they were when she came back to school. You had stripped her of a position that she deserves because she had refused to be your pawn and then you reinstated it when she was bending to your command again. Not to mention the fact that she had worked her arse off for that position since she arrived in this world and you take it away from her because she needs help and you won't give it to her because it will interfere with your plans. You once said that 'help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it'. Where was her help Albus? She came to you first, asking for your help, your assistance, your guidance and you turned her away and told her that she wasn't allowed to speak of it to anyone or there would be consequences. The young woman just wanted guidance, a friend, someone to believe her and you turned her away like a dog, like she meant nothing but shit on your shoe. Why did you do it Albus?" Severus delivered what he had bottled up and wanted to say for weeks now.

"Severus, you knew about this situation?" Albus said quietly, realising the position that he was now in, facing the wraths of two powerful wizards. He looked at Minerva, she had tears in her eyes and was pale and looked like she had aged in mere minutes. He looked back to Severus; he was staring at the old man in disgust.

Severus nodded "She had no choice but to tell me. The night after it happened, she had the most horrific nightmare I have ever seen. She was screaming, I don't think I've heard someone under the cruciatus curse scream out in as much pain as she did. I thought we were under attack, once I managed to wake her up, she vomited and pissed the bed out of sheer fear. It was after she told you, and you turned her away, when she told me what had happened, I was close to killing Black. The only thing that held me back was that I knew I was the only person who would help her at that point and I would be of no use to her in a cell in Azkaban. I took her to a muggle hospital to get her injuries healed. The damage he had done to her was horrific, she was in agony and I hated myself for allowing such a thing to happen when she was in my care. I supported her in her nightmares and I tried to protect her when her friends turned against her and the rumours started spreading. As a child in your care Albus, it should have been you offering help and now she hates you. Congratulations you twisted old man! I think your actions have hurt her more than her sexual assault ever did" Snape spat at the old and withering man.

Albus looked shamed and he was overcome with self-hatred. He didn't know the extent of damage that had been inflicted upon her, he hadn't even thought about it. His main concern then had been keeping Sirius Black out of trouble and focused on helping Harry.

"You don't give a damn about anybody except your precious Potter" Severus snapped viciously at him.

"It's all true? What Severus said?" Minerva asked.

Albus nodded hesitantly "I couldn't risk Sirius being taken out of Harry's life and that become Harry's focus instead of the real tasks at hand" Albus tried to justify.

"So without Miss Granger, do you think Potter would have even made it to his fifth year?" Severus asked.

Albus hesitated and that was all Severus needed.

"So who is the more important one then, the girl or Black?" Snape asked rhetorically.

"We're done here, be careful about the games you try to play in the future Albus, Miss Granger might just surprise you with her counterattack and let me tell you, after spending time with me and befriending Draco Malfoy, she has started to pick up quite a few Slytherin tendencies" Severus warned him with a proud smirk as he left the headmasters office.

Minerva sighed "where's the wizard I have admired my whole life Albus?" She said mournfully with unshed tears pooling in her eyes.

"How could you have let this happen? How could you have done this to a girl who wanted nothing more than for someone to just tell her that things were going to be alright?" She questioned him whilst shaking her head.

Albus gave her a heartbroken look; he knew he had done wrong. For being one of the most intelligent wizards alive, he had acted very childishly and stupidly. Minerva gave him one last disapproving stare she turned her back on him and also left the office.

Albus sat down in his chair, his cheek smarting from the slaps dealt by Minerva and he sighed. He was getting too old for this. Sacrifices had to be made in war, he knew that but he had gone back on his main oath as a headmaster; to protect his students. A student had been assaulted whilst under his care and he had practically punished her for it. It reminded him of his aims as a young, foolish and naïve boy, making muggles subservient.

He had threatened a girl who needed his help and frightened her into not breathing a word and the cost was her own suffering and insanity to the point where she had become suicidal and was suffering bouts of uncontrollable magic.

"I've destroyed Miss Granger as I did Ariana" he stated miserably to himself and he sat for the rest of the day wallowing in self-pity.

Hermione jumped when Minerva came back into her chambers and was instantly relieved to see that her head of house was no longer angry but was concerned when she noticed how miserable the old witch looked.

'Where had she disappeared to?' Hermione wondered.

Hermione quickly dismissed the thought when Minerva smiled at her and took a seat next to her.

"Tell me everything dear. From the day you arrived at Grimmauld Place to today" Minerva said as she held her young student in a comforting motherly embrace.

Hermione told her everything in detail, including the suicide attempts and her newfound friendship with Draco. Hermione told her about the assault and what Sirius had said and done to her. She told her about her embarrassing night terrors and how her friends had treated her whilst at the safe house and what had taken place. She told her about the outing to London and afternoon teas she had with her potions professor. She smiled at those rare memories; they were the ones that gave her comfort. Hermione decided to leave out the kiss and the whole argument she had with Snape and how he had healed her as it would gain attention that she neither wanted nor needed and would land both her and her love interest in heaps of trouble.

Minerva was happy that the girl had some people to help her and the old witch found that she had new respect for Draco Malfoy and vowed to commend him in private at a later date. Minerva was also extremely proud for Severus and could tell that Hermione thought very highly of him, maybe even had a little crush on the potions master. Minerva grinned at the thought. They would be perfect for each other and it was obvious to her that there was something more meaningful and deeper going on there but she didn't press the subject as she didn't want to make the girl nervous and close up again.

Minerva had become saddened after hearing about Hermione's attempts at ending her own life and promised to keep a closer eye on her student should her mood or emotions take a sudden change for the worse. Hermione Granger would not be dying under the watch of Minerva McGonagall, she would not allow it.

A short time later, after the heart to heart with her favourite professor, Hermione felt a lot better now that she knew her head of house was on her side.

What was most unfortunate was that neither witch noticed that Harry had come back to collect a forgotten schoolbook that he had left in the office at their earlier meeting and had hidden under his magic cloak in order to retrieve it without being caught sneaking around. Harry stopped and listened to the entire conversation with wide eyes, a hand over his mouth and his head shaking from side to side in disbelief.

Harry felt sick; he didn't believe what he was hearing. He just didn't want to believe it. Hermione was practically his sister but Sirius was his godfather and his dad's best friend, he had to find out if it was true, if it wasn't then he and Hermione were going to have serious problems and he refused to be held responsible for his actions.

Severus was sat in his rooms on his sofa marking some first year papers. He had a glass of fire whiskey to help him through the ordeal and then he would be heading off to bed. He had been too focused on what had taken place that day to really focus on marking the papers and had all but given up.

Instead he had found his thoughts drifting to a certain young witch who he had passionately kissed earlier. He relished in the memory of it and could remember the way that her body felt as it was intimately pressed against his. He could feel the heat that ignited between them and how he had to fight for control over his cock.

Whilst he had been lost in his thoughts he hadn't realised that his hand had reached down to put pressure on his aching cock. He was also unaware that he had started rubbing up and down over his trousers to relieve some of the tension that had been there for the whole day. He didn't notice that he had started bucking his hips to meet his moving hand to create the most delicious friction.

However, he did notice when his balls tightened and he realised what he was doing. He immediately stopped, but it was too late, his cock was pulsing and his balls had forced semen to the head of his most vital organ and he groaned in relief and satisfaction as his dick twitched in the confines of his trousers as he came hard, leaving a massive wet patch and white stain on the front of his black trousers.

Severus' body had become boneless and he looked down shamefully at the mess he had made in his pants and trousers, something that he hadn't done since he was a boy and had accidentally brushed the wrong way against his mattress and soaked his sheets. With pink cheeks of embarrassment and exertion, he waved his wand and cleaned up his mess as he composed himself and went back to marking the papers.

He sat like that for a few more minutes until he froze when a light rapping could be heard on the door to his private rooms. He quickly looked around as if expecting to find some evidence of what had just occurred and then shook his head at his stupidity, he was a wizard after all for goodness sake. He stood up and quickly moved to answer the knock, there were not many who knew about this door and those who did know about it only knew because he had told them.

He opened the door and was met with a pale face, very ill looking Hermione Granger.

He stared at her.

"You said I could come here if I needed to" she whispered.

Snape immediately let her in and then locked and warded his door. He offered Hermione a seat on his sofa and he waited for the next move and for her to speak.

Suddenly, without any warning at all, she jumped in his lap and placed her arms around his neck and buried her head into his shoulder and she began to sob.

Endless tears poured from her eyes and she couldn't control it, she didn't want to control it.

Severus, on the other hand, was confused and startled at the young woman's shift in emotions. He tried to understand what she was trying to say through her cries but could barely understand her. He heard a few words but it didn't make any sense. So he just held her and waited until she had calmed before speaking to her.

After a while the sobs ceased and her breathing became even again. He repositioned the girl so that he could talk to her but noticed that she had fallen asleep, emotionally exhausted.

He didn't want to wake her and send her back to her rooms in such a fragile state, he didn't know what she would do to herself and he wasn't willing to take a risk, not with her. So, he did the only thing he could think of, he waved his wand and extended the sofa and cast some cushioning charms before placing a pillow at one end of the sofa and laying her down. He removed her cloak and shoes before covering her with a thick blanket to keep her warm in the cold dungeons. Once he was satisfied that she was settled and comfortable. He placed charms around her that would alert him if she were to wake or need him in the night.

He collected his work and put it in his bedroom. He made his way back into the main room where she was sleeping and took one last worried look at her. He bent down and placed a light kiss on her forehead before turning down the lights and making his way to his bedroom.

He quickly showered and washed his hair and dressed himself for bed. He lay there for hours troubled and unable to sleep. His favourite student, his favourite woman and best friend was upset and asleep on his sofa and he wasn't sure what to do or say that would help.

He thought back to what she was trying to say when she was crying and grimaced at the words he had been able to clearly pick out. If what he had heard had been correct, there might be some serious problems coming up for the young witch.

As he closed his eyes and fell into a restless sleep, he thought back on her words.

"Harry knows" she had said.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Chapter Warnings – Sexual situations, bad language, discussions of rape, suicide and cutting.**

 **A/N: Once again, thank you all for being so supportive! :)**

 **Harry Knows and an Interesting Morning with Severus**

Hermione opened her sore eyes, she was momentarily confused when she looked around her room and noticed that it wasn't hers. She took in the dark, old fashioned room and admired the beautiful fireplace and basked in the peace that the still room offered.

Yesterday after leaving McGonagall's office, she had caught up with Harry outside by the lake before curfew and she sat beside him. Hermione could tell that something had been on her friends mind so she had asked him if he was alright.

Hermione sighed as she remembered the conversation that had taken place.

"Are you alright Harry?" She had asked.

"It should be me asking that question don't you think? So, own up, is it true or was it just a pathetic attempt at getting attention?" Harry asked her somewhat bitterly.

Hermione paused; she was shocked and unsure about what he was talking about. She was also upset that he had accused her, yet again, of being an attention seeker.

"Harry, what are you talking about? I don't understand" Hermione asked trying to gain some control over the situation.

"I heard you talking to McGonagall earlier. Talking about Sirius and your 'unfortunate summer' at Grimmauld Place" Harry looked at her accusingly.

Hermione felt as if she'd swallowed a hamster, she couldn't breathe, there was no way that Harry had any idea about what had happened, it just wasn't possible.

"Harry, you were listening in on the conversation? You weren't meant to find out! Harry, please keep your head, let me explain at least give me that chance?" Hermione pleaded her friend. The last thing that she wanted was for Harry to go and spread this, she knew he wouldn't do it on purpose but once the truth was out, it was out.

Harry gritted his teeth "you have two minutes. Did you seduce him and spread your legs for him? Or was it more of a 'beg to be fucked' situation?" He asked her flatly.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, feeling as though she had been slapped at the harsh words.

"Listen to me Harry Potter. Sirius was drunk one night, it was a couple of days after I arrived at Grimmauld, he came into my room and pinned me to the mattress and had his way with me. It was an unprovoked assault and I neither wanted nor needed his attention. Who in their right mind would want to be assaulted?" She asked him.

"I don't want to believe you, I can't believe you" he shouted at her.

"You had a crush on him. Maybe you had sex, didn't like it so instead claimed rape" Harry said.

"For fuck sake Harry, we have discussed this and you know full well that I don't have a crush on Sirius, nor will I ever. We had this conversation in the common room and I meant every word of it then and I mean every word of this now" she said trying to get her point across to him.

"Hermione-" he said in a pained voice, he wasn't sure what to say. If he believed her then he was condemning his godfather, his family. But if he believed Sirius, then he was condemning one of his best friends, his sister. He didn't know what to do.

Hermione was silent, waiting to hear what her friend would say next.

"Is it just McGonagall and I that know about it?" Harry asked her.

She shook her head "Dumbledore knows, Remus knows, Neville sort of knows, Draco knows and so does Professor Snape" she told him.

Harry's eyes widened "all of them know? Hell, even Malfoy and Neville know, since when are they more important to you than I am?" Harry snapped at her.

"Harry, Sirius threatened me to not say anything; I was scared so I went to Dumbledore. I knew he would be discreet and would advise me as best as he could. Only he didn't, Dumbledore told me to keep quiet about it, that it would ruin his plans if anyone knew about it. I told Remus the day we got the train back to school. I didn't expect him to turn against his oldest friend, I just wanted help and advice but then he told Dumbledore and the headmaster punished me for it, took my badge and issued detentions. Professor Snape helped me through my night terrors, he took me to a hospital to get healed and he's been there for me whenever I needed. Severus has helped me the most through all of this, he even comforted me when I broke down after arguing with you lot at Grimmauld" she told him honestly.

"Dumbledore and Remus really did that?" Harry asked her.

Hermione nodded.

"And Snape has been comforting you?" Harry grimaced at the thought of Snape being nice.

Again, Hermione nodded.

"What about Malfoy and Neville? How the hell did they find out, it must've been when we came back to school because we didn't see either of them in the summer" Harry asked, still trying to give her the benefit of the doubt in all of this.

"Neville doesn't know about the situation, not really. He knows something happened during the summer and that I have been struggling with it. But he doesn't know what, or who is involved. Draco, saw my bruises when I sat with him on the train back to school, after you guys wouldn't sit with me, I broke down and told him everything and he's been my friend and helped me ever since. You will just have to deal with that Harry, Draco is now my friend and he always will be no matter what" Hermione stated firmly, daring Harry to say something against the new friendship.

"Hermione you can't expect me to be happy about that-. Hang on; you said Malfoy saw your bruises on the train. But that would have been about three weeks after you claim you were assaulted, surely the bruises weren't that bad to still be that visible from afar?" Harry asked her.

Hermione cursed her friend's intelligence. It irritated her that Harry could be so unbelievably and stupidly impulsive and brash but this is what he picks up on. Hermione promised to tell the truth, she sighed.

"Sirius assaulted me twice. First time was a couple of days after I arrived and the second time was the Wednesday night before we got on the Hogwarts Express" she told him.

"Twice?!" Harry exclaimed. If he didn't believe her before, he definitely didn't now. It just didn't make sense, there was no way it could have happened with so many Order members under one roof, it was impossible.

"Impossible, I don't believe you, how could it have happened with nearly the whole fucking Order there?" Harry yelled at her.

Hermione jumped "it did Harry. The first time, Remus was away because it was a full moon and Severus was helping him. So it just left Sirius and me in the house. The second time it happened, it was the night Severus had left to come back to school. I was the only person on that entire floor, of course it was an easy target, especially when Severus' magic in his security wards had weakened after he left to come back here, I lost all protection after he left" she told him.

"I can't believe you Hermione! It just doesn't sound real, like something from a movie" Harry said shaking his head.

Hermione was getting desperate now; she wanted her best friend to believe her. She felt tears beginning to form in her eyes, she wished them away and not to fall. She hated her recent weakness of crying.

"Also, you went to Malfoy and Neville, before you came to me! Neville! I can understand the others, but Neville? What, is he more important to you than I am now, is that how this works?" Harry was getting angry, Hermione could tell by his tone.

"No, he stopped me from doing something very stupid, he deserved some explanation" Hermione muttered.

"What? Did he stop you from spreading your legs for Malfoy or something?" Harry sneered at her.

Hermione snapped, before she knew it she had slapped Harry around the face. The sound of skin hitting skin was enough to make her wince.

"Fuck you Harry! Neville stopped me from throwing myself off the Astronomy Tower, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't even be here right now" Hermione shouted at him.

Harry froze "what?" He whispered. But Hermione wasn't done, she was ready for this and she was going to be heard.

"That's right, that's what Neville did for me! I couldn't cope and was ready to end it all. Hell, I slit my wrists after the second assault but it didn't work, I was so disappointed that I'd failed. And do you know why I didn't tell you about it? It's because Harry that no matter what, no matter what, you are my best friend. I would never dream of putting such a rift between you and your closest family. I would never, ever make you choose a side or cause you to think badly of him because you idolise him and you need him and I can accept that as long as you can accept the way I have chosen to handle this and for Merlin sake, do not tell him that I told you, I dread to imagine what he would do to me in retaliation" Hermione cried at him, she took her bag and headed back towards the castle, not really sure where she was going, and left Harry there to ponder over what she had told him.

"Hermione, are you alright?" the most magnificent sound brought her out of her memories and back to reality. She looked up to see a sleep dishevelled Severus standing next to the sofa with concern in his eyes. She then felt something wet in her cheeks and reached up only to find that she had been crying again. She cursed herself; she really needed to stop doing that and blamed it on the fact that she was pre-menstrual.

Hermione wiped the tears away and turned to Severus, once again taking in his appearance and she giggled at him. His bed head was worse than hers, hair was sticking out everywhere.

Severus guessed why she was laughing at him and glared playfully at her before yawning.

"So what happened with you and Potter?" Severus asked, remembering why she was here in the first place.

Hermione sighed and told him the conversation that had taken place between the two friends by the lake.

Severus clenched his jaw in anger; he couldn't believe the stupidity of the boy. Actually, he could believe the stupidity of the boy. Severus sighed, his poor Hermione was suffering yet again because her so called friends couldn't listen to her. One day, they were going to ignore her and what she has to say and it was going to land the rest of them in great trouble.

Severus could see the headlines now 'foolish Gryffindor's dead because they didn't listen to their only friend with brains'. Severus sighed again; they would learn the hard way soon enough, if they were not careful.

Severus grimaced and turned back to the matter at hand, comforting his friend.

"Do you think he will tell anyone? Or will he be able to keep his trap shut?" He asked her seriously.

"I don't know, I don't think he would without having the full story. He might question Sirius in a very subtle and Slytherin way" Hermione admitted.

"Really? Potter playing Slytherin, what a nauseating thought" Severus said.

"Well, it was the original house the hat wanted to place him in" Hermione told him.

"Yuck! Don't tell me that!" Severus said, face turning pale. Hermione laughed at him again.

"Thank you for letting me stay here" she said.

"I didn't have much of a choice when you cried yourself to sleep in my lap" he told her mockingly.

Hermione flushed red, she had forgotten about that and couldn't believe that she had acted so childishly. She was trying to prove her maturity to him for goodness sake.

"I'm sorry; I like a cuddle and climbing on laps to do so. I've picked up too many habits from my cat" she said, absolutely mortified at the thought.

Severus smirked at her, yes she had been somewhat akin to a cat and he couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle as he seated himself on the sofa.

Hermione was not in the mood for his mocking so in an attempt to annoy him she quickly climbed on top of him as she had last night in an attempt to be triumphant.

It had the desired effect; he immediately stopped chuckling at her and instead looked at her in surprise.

"Ha!" She teased, arms folded and looking triumphant. Then her expression softened.

"I'm all seriousness, I am really thankful for everything you have done for me" she said whilst looking at his lips. Hermione could feel that weird tingle again, urging her to be closer to Severus.

Severus had begun to respond to her thanks but was cut off by the pressure of her lips against his once again. He immediately forgot about what he was going to say and melted into the kiss.

She was being passionate and he had wound his hands in her hair. She brushed her tongue against his lips, waiting to be granted access to his mouth.

He obliged and welcomed her into his mouth where a war between tongues broke out, both seeking dominance. Severus had stopped thinking and was just letting his instincts take over. Hermione, who was nervous when she started this, was becoming more confident. She could feel tingles break out in her body again and realised that this was how intimacy was meant to be. She felt comfortable with Severus and trusted him completely, she didn't feel scared with him, and she felt empowered.

The heat in the room doubled and the snogging became ferocious and Hermione could feel the hum of satisfaction at the back of her throat as she tried not groan out loud.

She then noticed something else; she couldn't work out what was happening. She was too caught up in her emotions and was concentrating on the kiss to focus on what was raising her curiosity.

She tried to seek more knowledge about it as she moved her hips to see if she could move it and discover what it was. She rocked her hips and promptly froze when Severus let out a strangled groan.

'Merlin! I've hurt him' she thought to herself as she looked at Severus with his eyes shut tightly as if he were trying to focus on something.

Then her mind cleared and she was able to think again and she looked down at where her hips were and noticed her professor's erection standing to attention in his thin sleep trousers. She thought that she would have been scared or at least nervous around the male anatomy. But apparently there was no issue here, she trusted him and she actually liked these new feelings.

She could feel her heart racing, she was out of breath and she felt distinctly wet in her underwear and it was all euphoric.

She rocked her hips again to create more friction to alleviate the pressure in her womanhood but was stopped when two hands were placed on her hips to stop her movements. Severus groaned again.

"We need to stop" he mumbled blissfully as reality crashed into him again. The ache in his cock was almost painful but he would not take advantage of her, not like this. She was still healing, she was emotional and he would not become his father or Black. He wouldn't do it to her.

He told her to get up and nearly came when she brushed up against his cock once more.

"Tease" he told her whilst trying to get his erection to go away.

Hermione chewed her lip "I didn't hurt you did I? You look like you're in pain" she told him.

"Quite the opposite dear, when a man gets one of these it can hurt, in a pleasurably painful sort of way, if he doesn't deal with it quickly". He informed her.

Ever the diligent student, Hermione memorised every word he had said and replayed them as she understood what he was saying to her. She wanted to ask questions, as always and so opened her mouth to speak.

"Do you need me to help-" she was cut off before she could finish.

"Don't finish that question. I might take you up on it if you do" he replied warningly. He was still trying to gain control over his betraying body.

Hermione sat and assessed him for a while until he had finally gained control of himself and could conduct himself in a manner acceptable when in polite company.

"My apologies" he told her.

But she refused it, she did not want him apologising for that, not ever.

Instead she giggled and he ordered them some food from the kitchen. They sat and ate in comfortable silence, both thinking about the early morning events.

Severus went to get dressed and Hermione say and ate her breakfast.

Severus cursed himself the minute he had closed his bedroom door. What was he thinking? He had lost control again and had snogged his student.

Severus shook his head. No, he had snogged his friend. Embarrassingly he had pitched a tent in her presence and he was angry at himself for it. He remembered the way her hips had rocked against him, pleasuring his cock through his lounging trousers.

He needed to relieve his ache and his hand found its way down his trousers and wrapped around his dick. However, moments later, Severus pulled his hand back and instead began holding his forearm.

'Well that's one way to turn me off' he thought to himself as he was being summoned.

He stepped out of the bedroom and Hermione immediately noticed what was wrong, he was being called. He looked at Hermione, who looked at him worriedly and he stepped towards her and gave her a light kiss on her temple.

"I will be fine, I promise. Make sure you leave within the hour or people might see you and then trouble will ensue" he told her.

Hermione nodded and stroked his bicep gently. Severus smiled at her and then he turned to leave his chambers. Just like that, Severus was gone.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Chapter Warnings – Bad language and discussions of rape**

 **Meetings, Draco and the Hospital Wing**

Severus Snape walked down the hallways of the current hideout of the Dark Lord. He approached the main drawing room and looked at the members of the meeting.

The first thing he noticed was that the recent breakouts from Azkaban were sat comfortably at the table along with Lucius Malfoy and the Dark Lord.

"Ah Severus, how wonderful for you join us" the horrific voice of his 'master' announced, smiling evilly at his followers.

There was a hiss that sounded like it came from Bellatrix. Yes, the demented witch absolutely loved Severus. She didn't trust him and would always be telling the Dark Lord that Severus couldn't be trusted, this often made things difficult for Severus as it meant that he had to prove his worth and was often rewarded with a cruciatus. He had enjoyed her being in Azkaban. Hell! He had enjoyed it whilst there was no Dark Lord at all and all evil supporters were in prison. But now the reprieve was over and it was back to dancing around the truth, dangerous lies and one word differences between life and death.

Severus hid his thoughts; he never knew when the Dark Lord was searching through his mind, he took his seat.

"Now, my loyal followers, we are to take a subtle approach on attacks. The ministry doesn't believe I am back so we are to keep it that way. Am I clear?" the Dark Lord hissed.

"My Azkaban escapees, you are going to be sent to try and gather followers. You are going to be sent to all werewolves, giant and troll colonies and convince them to join my cause. If you come back empty handed, you will forfeit your life. Now go!" he ordered his followers. They all quickly jumped up and began to move so that they could plan strategy and how they were going to bargain the loyalty of some of the most fearsome beasts.

"Not you Bellatrix, you are to stay here. I have some...other...necessary uses for you" the Dark Lord told her whilst stroking her cheek with his thumb.

Bellatrix grinned at the implications and giggled. She loved pleasing her master after all.

Severus and Lucius grimaced and shared a look of disgust. They were aware of the nymphomaniac tendencies of Bellatrix and were equally disturbed by the Dark Lords voyeuristic behaviours.

The Dark Lord turned to Lucius "any news Lucius?" he asked.

"My lord, I have located what you have been looking for. However, the enchantments and security around said object are near impossible to break. I tried and didn't succeed, I didn't want to raise more attention than necessary, and I also don't want to lose my job. I have been working on getting support from within the ministry and have been succeeding better than I could've hoped for" he informed his master.

"Very good Lucius, I am most pleased by your work. Also, quite right to not raise any suspicion. I need you on the inside Lucius, you have made me proud" the Dark Lord praised one of his oldest followers.

Lucius accepted the praise and nodded in thanks and out of respect to his master.

The Dark Lord then turned to Severus "any news Severus?" He asked.

Severus nodded "Dumbledore appears to be disappearing for days on end. I have no idea where he goes but it is suspicious. He is letting the ministry official take over without a fight which tells me there are more important matters for him to be dealing with. Secondly, the gamekeeper didn't return when term resumed, which is also most suspicious. I think the headmaster is planning something, he hasn't informed the Order yet so I can assume that nothing is a solid plan yet. He is of no threat to you and our cause at the current time" Severus informed his master.

"Very good Severus, you keep an eye on him and listen out for any information. You have done well my friend" the Dark Lord told Severus.

Severus nodded in respect and the two men were dismissed by their master.

"Drink?" Lucius asked Severus.

Severus stared at his oldest friend bewildered.

"It's 6am, I have classes to teach shortly and I have no desire to do so with a headache, the students cause that just by entering my classroom" Severus told him.

Lucius grinned at his friend's sense of humour and poured two glasses of whiskey anyway.

As they drank, Lucius took the opportunity to catch up with Severus.

"How is my son doing?" He asked.

"His grades are at a record high Lucius, you should be proud" Severus told him honestly.

"Good, Malfoys always come out top" Lucius stated having no concern for his sons grades only his reputation.

The two gentlemen conversed for a while before Severus had to leave as school would be beginning soon. He bid Lucius farewell and apparated back to the school gates.

He quickly made his way back to his quarters and was pleasantly surprised when he noticed that his favourite student, and loyal friend, had disobeyed his orders and stayed put.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright" Hermione said to him looking pale and frantic with worry.

Severus' face softened and his heart beat faster. He couldn't believe that she had been so worried about him.

"I'm fine, breakfast will be starting soon and we need to get you out of here before we feed your fans with more rumours" Severus joked.

She gave him one last hug, which he returned, and she picked up her things and snuck out of his quarters.

Hermione made her way to the great hall for breakfast, she was nervous; she didn't know what Harry had said to anyone or what she expected him to say.

She entered the great hall and let out a great sigh of relief, Harry wasn't at the table. She sat down next to Neville instead and had an in depth discussion about Herbology.

Hermione and Neville headed to their first lesson together; ironically it was potions class first. Neville's favourite.

Hermione glanced at Neville, who was already having a case of the jitters as they got nearer the classroom. Hermione giggled, she wondered what would happen if she told him of the other side of Severus Snape that she had the privilege to witness.

"Oi! Granger" a familiar voice called.

She turned to look at Draco, who was ushering her to an obscured alcove so that he could speak to her.

She told Neville that she would catch him up. Neville looked at Draco with suspicion; he still didn't trust him around Hermione.

Draco held up his hands in surrender, as if to show that he meant her no harm and Neville backed off and headed into the potions classroom.

Hermione and Draco stood in the alcove and waited until they were sure nobody could see or hear them.

"You alright? We haven't spoken in a while and I thought you looked a bit down" He said to her.

"It's been a bit explosive over the last few days, so much has happened. We don't have time to go into detail over it all, I want to tell you everything but right now we really need to get to class before we are late" she said to him. He hugged her and agreed and they stepped out of the alcove, after making sure the hallway was clear, and they made their way to the classroom.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor. Five points from Slytherin, for being late. Now sit down" Severus ordered his friend and his godson. Actually, right now they were his students and he had to treat them accordingly.

The whispers broke out in the classroom that Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were both late and had entered a classroom together. They had also seen that Draco had pulled Hermione into the alcove before the class had started.

"Bet they're fucking" one student muttered.

"It's the only explanation, sneaking around in alcoves" another student whispered.

Hermione flushed red and Draco glared at the other students, daring them to say anything more about it.

Severus on the other hand, was trying to keep himself composed. He knew there was nothing going on between the two students and found it hilarious that the other students were so stupid to even come up with that solution. Also, he was engrossed with the delicious pink flush that had spread over Hermione's face. He snapped himself out of it and focused back in the class.

"Miss Granger, seeing as you are late I thought you might have an insight as to where Mr Potter might be?" He asked her.

She looked towards where Harry normally sat and noticed that the seat was empty. She glanced back to her professor and shook her head.

"No sir, I don't know. He wasn't at breakfast either" she commented.

Severus raised his eyebrow in question at her and Hermione subtly shrugged her shoulders with a mildly concerned look on her face.

The silent conversation did not go unnoticed by Draco. Developments had truly taken place and he vowed to listen to her later.

Classes soon let out for the day and Hermione immediately headed for her tree by the lake to meet Draco and the inquisition that he was sure to bring with him.

He didn't disappoint "so what's going on?" He asked her.

"Severus found out that I nearly jumped off the astronomy tower. He went mad and took me to his office." She began.

Draco winced in sympathy for her.

"That must've been fun" he said sarcastically.

"Yes, fun" Hermione repeated.

Hermione's face lit up with a secret smile, she knew exactly how that conversation had ended and it wasn't entirely disastrous.

Draco's eyes widened at the implications she had made and went to ask a follow up question. But Hermione held her hand up, asking him to wait and let her tell her story first.

"Professor McGonagall also found out about everything and went to Dumbledore's office where she slapped him and practically ripped him to shreds" she continued.

"Then Harry overheard Professor McGonagall and I talking about it and called me out on it. Harry knows, I told him everything. We haven't spoken since and I have no idea how he's going to react. I was upset after I told him so I went to see Severus and I fell asleep on his sofa. He let me stay and I snuck out this morning" she finished.

Draco was shocked; he couldn't believe that so much had taken place in such a short space of time. He was elated that Dumbledore finally got what was coming to him and could believe McGonagall and her actions, that woman scared the shit out of him. He was worried that Potter would go all reckless and impulsive and it would hurt Hermione in the end but they would have to wait for that. Then there was this thing with Severus. Draco knew that something more had taken place but he didn't dare ask outright, that would cause her to flee. Well, he wasn't Slytherin for nothing. He grinned.

"My godfather is a good kisser then?" Draco blurted out rhetorically.

A very unladylike squeak emitted from his friends mouth and she quickly looked down at her hands as her face flushed red.

'Oh yes, something had happened' Draco thought as his grin widened.

Hermione couldn't look Draco in the eye, she wasn't used to talking about her intimate life and especially not Severus' either. He would kill her.

"Nothing really happened. He comforted me and I fell asleep" she tried to be convincing, knowing that she wasn't the best liar.

"Uh huh. Sure Granger, if that's what code for making out is these days" he grinned again.

Hermione glared at him and silently asked him to drop it. He relented and decided not to press her further, he would ask his godfather later.

They sat for a few more moments before deciding that they were hungry and should probably head to dinner.

Once there, Hermione went from relaxed to full on panicked when she found out that Harry hadn't been seen all day and hadn't shown up to any of his classes or meals.

Hermione bit her lip and didn't know what to do. She was worried that she had pushed him to do something stupid and would never forgive herself if she had.

"Hermione! I'm so glad I found you. I was asked to give you this note" Neville smiled at her, happy that he could be useful and responsible.

Hermione thanked Neville and read the note. She paled and felt scared, nervous but also felt adrenaline pump through her veins. She walked out of the great hall unaware that a set of eyes were watching her every move and had got up to follow her.

Hermione spat the correct password and ascended the stairs and knocked. She waited for an invitation and then walked into Dumbledore's office. She was sick and tired of this.

She walked in and noticed Dumbledore and Harry sat at the desk and they asked her to come and sit down.

"Right, let's have a chat" Dumbledore said to the students.

"It seems a slight rift has been created between the two of you. What has been going on?" Dumbledore asked knowingly.

"You know what's been going on" Hermione snapped at the headmaster.

"Miss Granger, I am in no mood for your tone" Dumbledore told her.

"Hermione has accused my godfather of something terrible. I'm having trouble believing her and I don't want to condemn her either. I know you are aware of the situation and besides, Sirius has no idea what has been going on here or what Hermione has been saying about him. How is he supposed to defend himself when he had no idea he's being slandered?" Harry told the headmaster.

Hermione's heart stopped and she couldn't breathe. There was that ringing in her ears, white noise. She was sweating and felt herself fading.

Harry was going to tell Sirius, Sirius would know that she had told someone and he would deny it. Of course he would. But if Harry told, she was dead, she was going to die. Dear gods, what was going to happen to her when Sirius got to her?

"You didn't Harry, please tell me you didn't say anything to Sirius" she whispered, her throat tightening.

Harry regarded her with a worried expression on his face. He had said nothing to his godfather, Harry was just angry that Sirius had no clue about the stories Hermione had been accusing him of. Was this her reaction to being called out as a liar? Or was it genuine fear that Sirius would come after her?

Harry didn't know what to think. He didn't want to find out that one of the people he loved the most were lying to him. But he couldn't tell which one was the liar and, whichever one was the liar, would destroy him either way. He knew that no matter who had lied, it was going to kill him and he couldn't handle the thought.

"See the problems that are caused by telling people about this Miss Granger. I understand the position you are in but I will not sympathise with the consequences you will now face with your friend" Dumbledore stated blandly.

Hermione came back to reality and pulled herself together. She needed to say her piece and then she needed to get out of here before either man saw her fall apart.

"Tell me sir, have you ever been raped? Sexually assaulted?" Hermione asked.

"Now Miss Granger-" Dumbledore was cut off.

"No, you listen to me. You do not understand me or this situation nor do you have the desire to. You talked about me seeing the problems of talking about my assault. But the truth is that it's what you don't see, that are the consequences of this" she snapped, she had both their attentions now and damn, she was on fire.

"You didn't see how my friends ignored me. You didn't see my night terrors where I threw up and pissed my bed. You didn't see me lose my mind out of fear that he would do it again. You didn't see the look on his face, void of emotion, as he assaulted me twice. You didn't see the way my vagina was hacked up like a piece of meat at the damage that had been done" she yelled.

And with those gruesome images planted in the headmaster and Harry's minds, she fled the room, she couldn't take it anymore.

She ran through the corridors blindly. She was going to be sick; she was going to pass out. Sirius was going to get his revenge on her for squealing.

Hermione ran out of the castle and into the rain, she heard a voice yelling at her to come back and that she was going to get into trouble. It sounded like Umbridge. But Hermione didn't care she kept running until she reached the forbidden forest and she eventually stopped on a tree stump, she lay down and closed her eyes. She prayed for the forest beasts to eat her.

Severus was interrupted by an annoying pink puffball and was told that a miscreant student had run into the forbidden forest.

Severus sighed, stupid teenagers and their emotions. He agreed to the hags demand and prepared himself to go out in the rain for a trip into the forest.

He used 'point me' to locate the student and was floored when he came across a passed out Hermione, asleep on a tree stump. He tried to revive her but she wasn't responding, she was frozen to the bone and was extremely pale. It was obvious she needed medical assistance and fast. Severus picked her up in his arms and carried her as quickly as he could to the hospital wing.

Poppy threw him out so that she could run tests on Hermione and it left Severus pacing in nervous circles in the corridor outside the hospital wing.

"We heard Miss Granger had been admitted to the hospital wing and came to see her. She left my office in quite a state earlier" the voice of Albus Dumbledore filled the silent corridor.

Severus turned and saw an impassive Dumbledore and a nervous looking Potter. They had said something, done something that had resulted in Hermione being in her current state.

"What did you do to her?" He whispered at them.

"Now Severus, you have to understand-" Dumbledore began.

Snape roared, actually roared. Harry jumped out of skin, he had never heard something so completely animalistic coming from a human.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO HER?" Severus yelled at the pair.

Harry wanted to run, even Dumbledore looked slightly wary of Severus' current state.

Suddenly, Madame Pompfrey came out of the hospital wing looking extremely pissed off.

"Would you mind keeping your voices down, this is a place for healing" she snapped at them.

She then composed herself and her expression became more troubled. She looked at the headmaster.

"Albus, we have a problem. It appears Miss Granger has suffered some trauma that only sexual assault can cause. I fear the damage is so severe that it may have rendered her infertile. The poor girl" Poppy informed the headmaster as she began to cry for the student.

Harry looked at Dumbledore who was looking at the floor in shame. He knew in that moment, that Hermione had been telling the truth the whole time and he felt ashamed of himself and angry that he had ignored his friend instead of helping her. Harry then looked at Severus who was glaring at Albus and then turned his glare on Harry himself.

Harry then noticed the troubled look that crossed the potion masters face and Harry would swear, for the rest of his life, that he saw Severus' eyes well up with tears and fall down the professors face.

With a deep breath Severus walked back to the door of the infirmary and then paused before he went in. He turned and waited until he had the attention of both the boy and the headmaster. When the headmaster and the boy were looking at him, he fought the urge to hex then both there and then.

"You will both leave her alone" he said darkly and with the promise of death if they didn't obey.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Once again thank you all for all your support!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warning – Bad Language, mentions of rape and attempted suicide and violence**

 **Letters to Remus, Letters from Remus and the Hospital Wing**

Harry Potter was trembling; he had faced many dangers and had lived a life full of adrenalin and fought mainly on nerves. This was something different.

Harry Potter knew that there was nothing more terrifying than a protective Severus Snape. Severus Snape didn't make empty threats, he didn't raise his voice and he wouldn't ever harm without reason. However, what Severus Snape did do, was make promises and Harry knew that when the potions master had told them to leave Hermione alone, the consequences of disobeying would make Voldemort himself more preferable.

Harry shuddered. He was exhausted, he had trusted Dumbledore, and he had trusted Sirius. But they had gone and hurt his sister and now she was lying, barely alive, in a morbid hospital wing. Harry almost went in, he wanted to apologise to his friend. Hell, Harry knew he would spend the rest of his life grovelling and begging on his knees for her forgiveness and even then, he didn't expect her to ever forgive or trust him again.

"Harry" Dumbledore said hesitantly.

Harry spun and looked at him, silently asking him why he had protected Sirius when he had clearly done wrong, twice.

Harry shook his head, telling Dumbledore to back off and Harry took one more longing look at the hospital door and headed back towards the Gryffindor common room.

Once inside the common room Harry sat by the fireplace, he needed to speak with Remus first before he spoke to Sirius. He wanted his conversation with Sirius to take place face to face, not over some fire call or where he couldn't cause immediate damage to his 'godfather'.

So, he began writing a letter to Remus in hopes that he could help him. Harry sat for a while contemplating what to write, once he had a gist of where his thoughts were going, Harry put his quill down and decided to read over it once more and send it in the morning.

Yawning, Harry headed up to bed and instantly fell into a troubled and restless sleep.

Meanwhile in the hospital wing, Severus Snape was looking down at a very pale and barely breathing Hermione. He was trying to keep the tears on anger from his eyes, his fists were clenched tightly and he wanted to yell at the world. Stood next to him, was a traumatised Mediwitch who was trying to keep professional and not fall apart at the sight of the young girl's mangled body.

"What monster could do something like this?" She had whispered.

Severus remained stoic and didn't seem to take his eyes off the unconscious witch. The Mediwitch noticed but said nothing; she had not seen that soft expression on the young man's face in decades. The Mediwitch could feel Hermione's magic, trying to reach out to Severus' aura, to keep her tied to this world. Poppy did not interfere with this type of healing, the magic would heal the girl itself and she just supervised and enjoyed the silence. Well, at least until the doors to the infirmary slammed open.

Severus closed his eyes and sighed, he had warned Dumbledore not to come anywhere near the girl for now.

"I thought I told you to fuck off you old coot" Severus snapped not looking away from his Hermione.

"Excuse me young man, but you are not too old for a slap across the arse for your cheek" warned a very feminine and a very Scottish voice.

Severus paled and immediately spun around to face the older witch with an apologetic look on his face.

"I apologise Minerva, I thought you were Dumbledore, I was about to start throwing hexes" Severus told her, trying not to show his secret fear of the older witch.

Minerva, who was looking worried, looked past him and directly at her student.

"What's wrong with her? Will she be alright?" Minerva asked Poppy.

Poppy sighed "it's difficult to tell. It's like she's given up both bodily and mentally. However, her magic is tying her to the world of the living, almost like it wants her not to give up, like there are reasons for her not to give up and her magic is trying to latch onto that source. She's stable for now at least, her magic seems to have found something and it's just enough for now" Poppy informed the teachers.

"Now about her other injuries...is there anything either of you want to inform me of?" Poppy said glaring at the professors, daring them to brush off the girls injuries.

The professors looked nervously at each other trying to think about how to proceed. That was all Poppy needed, in that moment she knew that the professors were aware of the girls condition and how she came to be that way.

"Merlin, what happened? Why was she not brought immediately to me?" Poppy practically shrieked.

"She came to me for medical assistance instead" Severus offered the information.

"Pardon?" Minerva said, in every explanation that had been given of this whole situation, never had there once been mention that Severus provided medical assistance.

Severus sighed praying that Hermione would forgive him for divulging such information.

"She came to me, knowing that I was trained in Healing and asked me to heal her in order to keep the whole situation under wraps" he informed the two witches.

"Yes, I can see that she has been healed before, I thought she had gone to St. Mungo's for help, I didn't expect it to have been you who had helped. You did a good job, she probably would have bled out from the lacerations that she has, judging by the scar tissue." Poppy told them both.

Severus just nodded his worried eyes were still on Hermione.

Both witches noticed this and glanced at each other with a knowing smile. Although it would be viewed disapprovingly, there was an obvious connection between student and teacher and was only proved further by the fact that their magic was reaching out for each other. Almost like soul mates, if you believe in such a phenomenon.

"There is nothing more we can do until she wakes, it will not be for a few days though" Poppy told them.

She then turned to Minerva and made up an excuse so that both the witches could leave. They turned back in time to see Severus sit down in the chair next to Hermione's bed as he grasped her hand lightly.

A few days later saw a wide eyed, frozen Remus Lupin sat at the kitchen table at number 12 Grimmauld Place. He was holding a piece of parchment in his shaking hands, rereading the words in disbelief. He couldn't believe it, his eyes welled with tears and he was glad that Tonks had decided to leave the household and had decided to visit her mother. Remus grew angrier the more he read the letter.

 _Dear Moony,_

 _Things have been changing here, all things pink has practically taken over and you hardly ever see Dumbledore anymore, he keeps disappearing and we don't really know where._

 _I guess nobody can ever truly understand the mind of Dumbledore and how his logic works. That's what I'm really writing to you about, Dumbledore has done something...bad, I don't know what to do or how to put things right. But I need you to understand that what I am about to tell you may seem implausible and wrong and you may not want to believe it, but it is true._

 _I had a conversation with Hermione some time ago and she confessed to me that Padfoot had caused her great harm whilst she was there during the summer and that Dumbledore kept it all hushed up in favour of him._

 _I didn't fully believe her, I yelled at her, I called her a liar and I sort of shut her out and gave the benefit of the doubt to Padfoot. I went to Dumbledore and told him about what Hermione had told me, he was angry and so he called a meeting with Hermione and me. Dumbledore accused her of causing trouble and she lost the plot, she went absolutely mental at him, no mercy. However, later on that evening, Hermione was found unconscious in the forbidden forest and upon a further examination by Madame Pompfrey, Hermione was found to have injuries caused by sexual assault and the mental and physical damage is what had caused her to collapse._

 _I couldn't believe what I was being told, Moony. But the guilt on Dumbledore's face and the look of sheer murder on Snape's confirmed everything._

 _Hermione told me that you knew about this. That she had told you about this and you went to Dumbledore and she was punished for telling you._

 _What happened Moony?_

 _I need to speak to Padfoot, I understand that I won't be able to see him until the Christmas holidays and I refuse to confront him any other way than face to face._

 _I feel so awful Moony. The whole time we were there during the summer, every remark, every comment and every low blow that we took at her and the whole time she was dealing with something so unthinkable. I'm surprised she didn't try to off herself earlier than she did._

 _I didn't mention that did I?_

 _The bullying she's been facing since we returned, because of us, because of me, and the lack of support and places to turn to nearly caused her to jump off the astronomy tower. Had it not been for Neville, she would have succeeded._

 _She's turned to Snape and Malfoy for companionship and help...Malfoy! I really don't have a clue what to do or say. She's still unconscious and we have no idea when she will wake and in what state she will be in._

 _I just don't know Moony. What shall I do?_

 _Harry x_

Remus stared at the words and he felt shame, an overwhelming amount of guilt that made his stomach hurt, and pain, that he had singlehandedly prolonged the suffering of another.

Remus thought back to the conversation he'd had with Hermione at Kings Cross and how he had flooed Dumbledore and watched with satisfaction as she was punished and demoted. He'd put his faith in the wrong person, just as he had done many years before.

Hermione had sought help from her friends and family, those from Gryffindor but it had been the enemy house, Severus and Draco Malfoy who had saved her.

Remus thought back to the subtle hints that Severus had made towards the situation and wondered if Severus had truly known back then.

Remus remembered how he could smell the change in Hermione. How he could smell the change in her hormones which could only be caused by the loss of virginity and how he had been foolish enough to accuse Severus of the atrocity.

Remus groaned and put his head in his hands, he had a headache, and he also needed to think of a response for Harry but first, there was something of more importance.

"Moony? Where are you dear friend?" Sirius Black shouted from somewhere in the house, most probably the study.

Remus grimaced and had to force himself to remain calm. He wouldn't do anything until he could be sure he could cause the most damage and not get in trouble for it.

"Yes, I'm here Padfoot, I will join you in a moment, I'm just in the middle of doing something and want to finish doing it before I stop" Remus yelled back, surprised at how normal he sounded.

Sirius' laughter could be heard.

"If you are having a wank in there be sure to cleanse the area before you leave" Sirius jested.

Remus grimaced again at the vulgarity of his words and he suddenly saw Sirius in a new light.

Sirius had always been a womaniser and loved his alcohol but Azkaban had sent him off the deep end and he had become almost brutal in his respect towards women and his attitudes towards sex.

Remus teared up again as he realised Hermione would have experienced this, twice and being virginal would have made it even more horrific for her. Her introduction to sex would have been awful; she would never want to touch another man again.

Remus pulled himself together; he felt he had given himself his own personal mission.

There was an Order meeting in a couple of days and before then, there was a letter that he needed to write and send.

He reached for a piece of blank parchment and bean writing.

'Dear Hermione' he wrote.

 **Meanwhile...**

"Severus? Severus?"

Severus Snape's eyes opened, it took him a moment to realise where he was but soon recognised the plain white of the infirmary. Had he really fallen asleep here?

As his brain woke up, he searched for the person who had been trying to talk to him. He didn't see anyone so shook his head thinking that he had begun to crazy and had started hearing things.

He turned his attention back to the young woman whose bed he had been beside every free moment he got.

He instantly found the two beautiful brown eyes that were Hermione Granger's staring back at him and she was smiling.

Severus' heart leapt. She was awake! She was alright!

"Welcome back" he smirked at her.

"What happened?" She said her voice raspy from days of disuse.

Severus immediately fetched a cool glass of water which she gulped down in seconds, he gave her another and another, until she had sated her thirst.

"You were found unconscious; the stress caused your body to shut down. It needed to reboot on its own" he told her.

"How long have I been out" she asked.

"About three days" he answered her.

"And you're here because...?" She asked.

"I had to drop off some potions to Madame Pompfrey and thought I'd ensure you did not need any more potions before I left" he answered her, giving a half truth.

"Thestral shit" snorted another voice.

Hermione's eyes widened as she saw the wonderful, kind Mediwitch approach the bed and curse.

Poppy chuckled at the girl's reaction; Poppy was human too after all.

"Professor Snape has been here every free moment that he has had Miss Granger. He's even slept in that chair for the past two nights" Poppy smirked at Severus as he flushed completely red.

"You've been here the whole time?" She asked in amazement.

Severus turned crimson and found the edge of the bedsheets extremely interesting.

"Leave the man alone Poppy" Minerva giggled as she entered the infirmary.

"How are you Miss Granger?" Minerva asked as Poppy conducted the necessary tests to ensure the girl was in a healthy state.

"I feel good thank you Professor" she said to Minerva.

Minerva smiled, she was genuinely happy for the girl. Minerva suddenly remembered the reason for her visit in the first place and approached the bed that was occupied by her student.

"This came for you Miss Granger" she said as she handed Hermione a letter. Hermione accepted the letter and began to open it.

"One came for you also Severus" Minerva handed him his letter.

That made Hermione pause, she waited until Severus had opened his and he looked at her.

"They're from Lupin" he said, watching her reaction carefully.

Hermione took a deep breath and began to read her letter.

 _Dear Hermione,_

 _It is with great sorrow and deep regret in which I wrote this letter._

 _Harry informed me about what has happened and I wanted to apologise Hermione. I don't expect you to forgive me and I am more than prepared to spend the rest of my life begging for your forgiveness. I should have never have turned away from you. I should have helped you regardless of how much I didn't believe you at the time._

 _Harry tells me you're not well. Is there anything I can do for you?_

 _If there is, please don't hesitate to ask. I will do anything for you._

 _Your apologetic servant (and hopefully friend again one day)._

 _Remus X_

She smiled as she read the letter; she knew she would forgive Remus. She had already said that she hadn't expected him to believe her over his oldest friend in the first place. She had wanted help. Although, he hadn't given it to her when she needed it most, he was willing to give it to her now and she was not going to lose him again. Remus was a good friend and her closest adult friend (besides Severus and Minerva). She would be sure to write him back.

She then looked at Severus; Remus wouldn't have sent him an apology so, what had he written to Severus about?

She was curious but she would never infringe on Severus' or Remus' privacy like that.

Severus stared at her and gave her a nod to gesture that everything was alright and there was nothing she should be worrying about.

"Miss Granger, you are healthy and I can discharge you. You may want to take it easy for the next couple of days but you should be back in classes soon, you have much to catch up on I expect" Poppy told her.

Hermione nodded and thanked her and she was left alone with Severus.

"Can I have a moment?" She asked him.

He looked at her with a blank expression unsure of why she was dismissing him just like that.

Hermione smirked and gave him a sly look as she began to take off her hospital gown so that she could get dressed.

Severus' eyes widened and he practically sprinted away from her vicinity in order to give her privacy.

As he waited for her, he could hear her laughter and couldn't help but smile and the musical sound.

"Smitten" Poppy commented, causing Severus to snap his head towards her.

He composed himself and adopted his stoic expression and tried not to sneer at both Poppy and Minerva who were giggling at his expense.

'Women' he grumbled.

Hermione exited from behind the curtain, fully dressed and more than happy to leave. She stopped when she realised she had stumbled into half a conversation and could feel the awkwardness rolling off Severus.

"I'm sure Professor Snape will escort you back" Minerva said chuckled along with Poppy.

Severus sneered at them both before walking off, expecting Hermione to follow him.

As they left the hospital wing and descended the stairs Severus stopped and stared at Hermione.

"Would you care for some morning tea Miss Granger?" He asked.

"Professor Snape, I would be delighted" she replied and the pair headed towards the dungeons.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Once again thank you all for the support! I had a question about how long this story is going to be, at the moment I have 32 chapters written and I'm still writing. I'm hoping to make this story long enough that it won't finish until March/April...then I will take a couple of months break whilst I graduate from University and then I might do a sequel during the summer next year, depending on how this story ends. Many thanks! :)**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Sexual Situations, Bad language, discussions of rape, suicide and cutting**

 **The Inquisitorial Squad, a Chat with Harry and Normalcy**

Dolores Umbridge was in her classroom looking at her Inquisitorial Squad, they would be her eyes and ears about the castle and hopefully, they would help her bring down Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore and any wizard army that they may have formed.

She looked at the list of names that had been given to her from the pupils that had gathered for this meeting. These students were interested in helping her however, she would note able to put the squad into effect yet. Albus Dumbledore was still in control, but that would change soon. She grinned as she looked at the main names of the students who were interested in the squad:

\- Draco Malfoy

\- Pansy Parkinson

\- Millicent Bulstrode

\- Vincent Crabbe

\- Gregory Goyle

\- Argus Filch

She was rather unsettled that a squib had signed up but she wasn't in the position to be picky, she needed all the help she could get.

"As you know, there are going to be changes put into place around here soon. Dumbledore's position at this school will fall and he will be asked to stand down. It is then that we will put this little group into effect. Your main duties will be to make sure that all new rules are being upheld and to keep an extremely close eye on Potter and his allies. We do not want him trying to revolt against the ministry. For the moment do not be obvious about your actions but if you do happen to hear of any information that is of significance, you will report it all back to me. I will send owls to you all when I believe another meeting is necessary. Remember what I said, discretion is key, do not go looking for trouble because at the current time, I will not be able to protect you. However, when the time is right your services will be rewarded" Umbridge told the few students who were sat gleefully on the edges of their seats.

Umbridge was counting on the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin to get many more people on board with her squad. She grinned at the enthusiasm she had already received and dismissed the group with a smile.

She got out the piece of parchment from her desk drawer and looked at it smiling wickedly at her own handwriting. She had been writing decrees that she would enforce when she had the power. She was prepared to wait because she knew she had to pounce at the opportune moment or her whole plan would fall to pieces. She had been adding to the list whenever she thought of something and would occasionally laugh at the thought of how catatonic she could make the students at the school. She would ensure that there would be no fun, colour or happiness any longer. There would only be education from a ministry approved point of view. A school that would not fight back or form a resistance.

She sat smugly in her office with her cup of tea.

'Oh yes, things would be changing around here' she thought with a giggle.

Sometime after midnight, Severus Snape was sat in his office; he was reading through a set of awfully attempted assignments that he had set for the third years. He wondered over the changes that had subtlety been taking place. Draco had come by his office some time ago to inform him of this new group that Umbridge was beginning to assemble.

'And the drama continues' Severus sighed as he marked a giant 'T' across some imbecile's paper.

There was an Order meeting tomorrow and he was slightly concerned. Gryffindor's were known for their impulsive behaviour and with these turn of events and this new information about Umbridge and her intentions, this meeting could end in disaster.

Severus could see the shrieking banshee impressions now and it was already giving him a headache. Then after the meeting he would be expected to accept his summons from the Dark Lord, give information and then be tortured for it.

'Some life' he thought to himself.

On the other side of the castle Ron Weasley woke with a start, he could hear something and looked around the dormitory for the source. His eyes found his best friend, who was currently in the midst of what looked like a nightmare.

Harry was sweating and breathing deeply; he was walking down a long corridor and eventually came across a door. He was going through the door and found himself in a large room with what appeared to be miles and miles of rows of crystal balls. He then caught sight of himself in a reflection, he was a snake. He had been slithering around these corridors, he was searching for something but he didn't know what.

Suddenly the face of Voldemort popped up into his view and Harry screamed.

Harry launched into an upright position and found himself in his bed at Hogwarts. He looked over and saw Ron staring at him with a concerned expression.

"You alright mate?" Ron asked.

Harry, who was still out of breath and sweating heavily, nodded.

"You sure?" Ron asked again, not fully believing him.

"Honestly Ron, I'm fine. Go back to sleep, your eyes are drooping already" Harry said with a laugh.

Ron was already snoring before his head hit the pillow and Harry couldn't help but laugh at his best friend's expense. Ron would never change.

Harry sat and thought about his rude awakening by his own dream. He had been having the same dream for weeks; he couldn't work out where he was in these dreams or what they meant. He was finding it increasingly frustrating and was getting tired of being forced awake most nights.

He was also worried about Hermione. He knew she had woken up and was due to be back in classes on Monday. It was a Hogsmeade weekend and the weather held a promise of torrential rain.

Harry cast a tempus charm and saw that it was 5am and knew that there was no point in going back to sleep so he got up and headed for the common room. He was hoping for some peace and quiet before everyone else got up. It was rare that anyone ever got up before 8:00am on a Hogsmeade weekend which meant that he had a few hours of brooding that he could do.

He stepped into the common room and froze.

Hermione had been up since 3am, even after the calming draught she had been given by Severus. She couldn't help but sit and think about the past events.

She sat with her journal open on her lap as she tried to catch up in her diary. Today was the 28th of October and she felt...good. For the first time in nearly three months she finally felt relaxed.

The people that she cared most about now knew about what had happened to her and she was getting medical help, emotional help and her self-esteem was beginning to pick up again. She had Severus, Draco, Neville, Minerva and Remus was back in her life. All of them were brilliant and she accepted that she could be happy if it was just her and them for the rest of her life.

She was unsure what would happen between her, Harry and Ron now. Harry knew the truth but she would never force him to choose sides.

Hermione closed her eyes and tried to relax but was only like that for a few minutes before she heard footsteps coming down the stairs and into the common room and then the footsteps stopped.

She turned to look at the person who was also awake ridiculously early on a Saturday and was surprised to see Harry stood in the common room.

The two teenagers stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Hermione spoke.

"Hi Harry" she said steadily, summoning her Gryffindor courage.

"Hi" Harry said hesitantly. He was fully expecting her to attack and kill him right there and then.

"Everything alright?" She asked, she could feel the tension between them and wished nothing more than to ease it.

"Am I alright? Hermione...I, it's me who should be asking you that! I wanted to apologise for everything but I felt that an apology was such a pathetic thing to do after how much I have hurt you. When I found out you'd been taken to the hospital wing in a severe condition, I didn't know what to do. Snape forbade me from going anywhere near you...apparently I had done enough damage and he didn't want me doing anymore. Hermione, I'm going to speak to Sirius, I want to have my way with him after everything that he has done to you. He may be my godfather but I have only known him for less than two years. You, Hermione, have been my best friend, my sister, my logic and sanity...when mine decided to leave…and you are the person who has kept me alive for nearly the last five years. Hermione, if there is anything I can do for you, I will do it. I know I will never be able to fully redeem myself for what I have said and done for the last few weeks but I will do anything for you now. I will never fully forgive myself for this and I don't expect you to forgive me either" Harry said without really pausing for breath.

Hermione had stopped breathing awhile back and was struggling to cope with the speed in which Harry was giving her information. When he finished, she only just managed to conceal a sob and she ran towards him.

Her intention had been to hug him but Harry was unprepared for the force and speed in which she came at him and so the pair fell to the floor hugging and laughing.

After they had hugged it out, the headed back towards the more comfortable seats and began to talk through everything.

"Harry, I never wanted you to take a side in all of this, I didn't expect you to and I never wanted you to feel as if you had to take sides. I just wanted to tell you, I wanted you to realise that there was no scandalous affair going on between myself and your godfather, I wanted you to know that I wasn't trying to steal him from you. I also just wanted to tell you the truth and I'm sorry that it all happened this way. Also, please don't confront Sirius, it will just give him the satisfaction that he had gotten to me and you know my pride is much higher than that. Also Harry, there is nothing really to forgive you for, you were reacting to the information you had and logically, you wanted to believe the most plausible story, which wasn't mine and you reacted to that accordingly" she said to him gently.

Harry felt a stab to his gut. He didn't want her to forgive him, he wanted her to shout at him, tell him he was an arsehole, a bastard and that she never wanted anything to do with him ever again. At least he could accept that. But to forgive him? That was painful and he would spend the rest of his life paying for his behaviour even if he had to do it secretly.

"Alright, I won't do anything about Sirius but if you change your mind...tell me and it will be done. However, I make no promises for what McGonagall, Remus and Snape might do to him at the Order meeting tonight" Harry said to her. He was slightly irritated that he wouldn't get to do anything to Sirius for quite some time. Probably Christmas, which was ages away.

Harry tried not to show his discontent so instead, he changed the subject.

"You coming to Hogsmeade today? Just me, you and Ron...just like old times?" Harry asked.

Hermione smiled, finally there was some normalcy in her life and she quickly agreed to the offer. They might even be able to sneak into the pub for some Butterbeers. Hermione was suddenly very excited about her weekend.

"It will be a great day out!" Hermione exclaimed happily.

"I will have to probably leave you a bit early though; Draco and I like to hang out for a bit on weekends, if we can. Our friendship is sort of under wraps, for obvious reasons" she said with a slightly seething tone to her voice at the situation Draco was practically being threatened into. She was worried for her unlikely friend.

"It still creeps me out that you and Malfoy are friends" Harry said with a grimace.

"He was there for me when I had no one else Harry, he is now in my life whether you like it or not. You need to accept it and move on. I don't expect you to make daisy chains together or paint each other's nails. Just be civil, that's all I ask" she told him sternly, leaving no room for argument.

Harry nodded and held his hands up in a surrender gesture. Well at least she still had her brilliantly terrifying nature.

"So why are you up so early? Normally I have to drag you out of bed at weekends" Hermione joked.

"I had a dream, it woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep so I came down here" Harry answered honestly.

"You're having nightmares again?" She asked, quickly taking on the role of a concerned mother.

Harry shook his head.

"It's not exactly a nightmare. I've been having the same dream for weeks. I am a snake and I slither through a long corridor, it seems familiar but I can't quite place it. Then I go into a massive room that is full of crystal balls, like I'm searching for something in particular but I am never find it. Then the image of Voldemort springs up into my dream and that's what startles me awake. It's very confusing, I just don't understand what it all means, it's probably nothing anyways, just me being paranoid" he told her, secretly hoping she would have an insight to the situation.

"You shouldn't ignore it Harry, you don't think Voldemort is trying to get into your head again. Didn't he try that last year when you had nightmares about the graveyard?" She asked him.

Harry grimaced, the death of Cedric in the graveyard was still like an open wound and Harry still felt exceptionally guilty.

Hermione noticed and apologised.

"Maybe you should keep a log of when you have these dreams, maybe there is a connection between the dates that you are having them" she suggested.

Harry agreed, it was worth a try at least.

"Any more trouble from Umbridge?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Aside from the fact we are not learning any defence? Nope" Harry said angrily, he wanted that woman gone more than he did Voldemort and he didn't think he was the only one who felt that way.

"You're right Harry, we need to do something. We aren't learning how to defend ourselves, something needs to change or we are all fucked" Hermione said.

Harry visibly recoiled when Hermione swore; she had been spending way too much time with the serpent house.

He chuckled at her cursing as she realised that she had casually sworn and joined in with Harry's laughter.

The pair eventually began to hear movement and looked at the time. They noticed that breakfast had just begun and Harry went to fetch Ron staring that the three of them should go to breakfast together.

Hermione waited patiently for the boys still really excited that she was going to have a nice weekend.

Minutes later, Harry returned dragging a barely conscious and barely dressed Ron behind him.

"Mornin Mione" Ron yawned sleepily.

Hermione instantly felt bad, she and Ron had built up their friendship once more and things were going well. Ron had been completely oblivious to all the drama but Hermione sort of liked that. However, she knew she would have to tell him, if word got out about what had gone on, Ron would most definitely hear about it and Hermione wanted him to hear it all from her and no one else, he at least deserved that after being kept completely out of the loop.

"Good Morning Ron" Hermione exclaimed excitedly at her friend and hugged him.

This shocked Ron and he immediately woke up, fully alert and smiled, his stomach then let out a massive growl, so loud that he actually looked embarrassed and flushed red.

Hermione and Harry laughed as they all headed towards the great hall and the Gryffindor table.

They say down and all grabbed some food. For the first time in ages, Hermione's plate was full and she ate her fill on Sausages, eggs, beans and bread.

The trio were so engrossed in each other and their breakfast that they barely noticed four sets of eyes staring down at them from the head table.

Minerva and Poppy were looking at the trio; finally things were beginning to feel normal again.

Albus looked at the trio somewhat guiltily; he had been using the three of them for the past four years for their personal resources that would help 'the greater good'. But finally seeing them like this, happy and carefree, showed him just how young they all still were and he couldn't help but feel like he had taken complete advantage of all of them. Albus Dumbledore pushed his plate away, he was no longer hungry.

Severus looked at Hermione and could practically feel her delight at finally having something normal in her life and he couldn't help but be delighted for her. He saw her look his way for a moment and he gave her a secret smile that he reserved only for her. Things were finally turning around for the young woman and it was all for the better.

As the trio were finishing breakfast the call for Hogsmeade began and they swiftly moved to their feet and headed for the carriages, the three of them were in a world of their own.

Anyone else who was sat at breakfast watched the trio and for the first time since the term began, no one had anything to say about them. Things felt normal for the first time in what felt like forever.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Chapter Warnings – Sexual situations, bad language, discussions of rape, suicide and cutting**

 **Hogsmeade, Intoxication and Detention**

Harry, Ron and Hermione had spent the morning looking around Hogsmeade and Hermione stocked up on her sweet guilty pleasures. She was running low already. The boys then said they wanted a drink and so they set off looking for a place where underage students could possibly get served.

The trio had tried to sneak into the three broomsticks but were caught and immediately sent away from the pub. So instead, they found themselves in a filthy, run down, completely empty little pub called 'The Hog's Head', they were able to get served whatever drink they wanted.

The cups in which the drinks were served were disgusting so Hermione cast a few thorough cleansing charms on the three cups.

Hermione was sat happily with her Butterbeer and watched amused as she watched her friends attempt to drink fire whiskey.

After about 3 glasses, they dared Hermione to try some. Alcohol was not something that bothered Hermione she never really had a desire to get drunk or play drinking games and especially as she knew that alcohol could turn some men into pigs, she was a little reluctant to letting her guard down.

Mind you, Hermione had been feeling slightly feverish lately. She had spent the last two days sneezing and feeling slightly blocked up and she could tell she was getting sick, probably a cold or flu virus due to falling asleep in the rain the other day. She remembered that she had been told by her grandfather once that the best way to keep colds and flus away was to have a few sips of whiskey when the weather started to get colder.

Hermione decided she would have a couple of sips, hoping to ward off illness, and that would satisfy the boys, hopefully stop her getting sick and wouldn't do any harm. She accepted the cup from Ron and took a couple of sips.

She swallowed a decent amount and immediately began coughing and spluttering, it was practically burning her throat and eyes.

After the coughing fit, Hermione realised that although she had only had a small amount, the drink still made her feel slightly lightheaded and tipsy. It was truly some strong liquid.

She made a disgusted face at the drink and went back to her own Butterbeer as the boys laughed at her expense.

"That was repulsive!" Hermione exclaimed.

"How can you drink that stuff?" She asked.

"It is brutal stuff but it's hilarious watching people try to drink it down" Harry laughed.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

'Typical boys' she thought to herself, she could already feel a headache coming on and sighed, she really should not have mixed her drinks.

The three sat and finished their drinks and left the pub. They were all feeling the effects of the alcohol already, Ron looked like he was about to throw up. He had the same expression on his face that he had when he was in second year and had accidentally cursed himself, instead of Draco, to throw up slugs. Harry didn't look like he was fairing any better.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Three Gryffindor students, silently walking together with purpose back towards the school. If that's not suspicious, I don't know what is" the voice of Professor Snape rang out from what appeared to be nowhere.

Hermione cringed, they had all clearly been drinking, they all had red eyes from the slight intoxication and they had all been drinking underage.

The trio all knew this and they also were saying their prayers because they knew that their Professor was not going to be merciful about this.

They all turned to look at their Professor and tried to look as normal as they possibly could.

The potions Professor stalked over to the trio, knowing full well what they had been up to, even as the boys tried to hide it.

"Good afternoon sir, we were all just heading back to the castle. We are all slightly exhausted hence the silence" Harry said politely, trying to keep up the innocent facade whilst also trying not to slur his words.

"And the fact that the three of you smell to the heavens like a brewery has absolutely nothing to do with it?" Severus questioned them, one eyebrow raised, arms crossed, whilst sneering. He was in full teacher mode now and had to deal with the situation according to the rules.

He was also slightly surprised, not by the two boys; obviously, he had expected such stupidity from those two imbeciles, but not from Hermione. However, there she was, as he looked at her he could see the slightly glazed over look in her red eyes as she tried to stand straight. He voiced his thoughts.

"I expected such folly from Potter and Weasley but never from you Miss Granger, I believed you were smarter than that. Oh, how I can't wait to see the face of your head of house when I tell her that the golden trio are intoxicated. All punishments will be overseen by me of course, you're not going to get away with this lightly" Severus grinned, thinking of all the nasty, awful things he could task Potter and Weasley with. He would also have to punish his Hermione, something menial and easy to do he should think, he was trying not to show his concern for her in front of others. But was she really alright?

Harry was indignant and immediately jumped to try and defend himself and his friends.

"Professor, no offence, but there are probably students currently in a worse state than we are. At least we know when to say 'when', why don't you go and punish those who are a potential danger to themselves and others?" Harry told him firmly, confident that he was right and also trying not to show he was intimidated by the professor.

"It was you three that got caught Mr Potter. There are students who are probably worse than you right now but even in their teenage drunkenness, they are not stupid enough to get caught. Are they?" Snape shot back.

Harry paled; he did not see that backfiring at all. Hermione mentally face-palmed at the fact Harry had not seen that response coming.

However, all of that was completely forgotten about as the focus was directed at Ron, who had been silent throughout the whole encounter.

Ron had hunched over and begun vomiting, quite impressively, all over his Professor's left shoe, which happened to be in Ron's firing range.

Hermione and Harry grimaced in sympathy as their Professor's face changed to one of fury and disgust as the boy spewed up the questionable contents of his stomach.

"That will be extra points from your house" Snape glared at the ginger boy once he had finished vomiting.

Snape wordlessly cleansed his shoes and he led the three of them back up to the castle and straight to McGonagall's office.

Minerva was slightly surprised when her office door flew open and in walked an irate potions master and three of her students.

'Dear Merlin! It's always those three!" She exclaimed silently to herself as Severus told her what had happened.

She was speechless that the golden trio, that were supposed to be the keys in taking down Voldemort, had all got ridiculously and foolishly drunk. She docked points from each of them and handed them all over to the mercy of Severus for punishment, she knew full well that he would deliver a severe detention to the three troublemakers. She then dismissed them all from her office and poured a small glass of wine for herself. She was getting to old for this shit.

Outside of McGonagall's office saw Severus Snape handing out detentions to the golden trio.

"Potter, you come to my office after dinner tonight at 5pm. Weasley, you will come to my office tonight at 7pm. Granger, you will come by my office at 9pm tonight. No exceptions, no discussions now all of you, get out of my sight" he glared at them, with a slightly softened expression at Hermione and he stalked off back towards the dungeons, leaving the trio in the corridor.

"The golden trio all given detention, how interesting. What did you do this time? Piss in his Pumpkin Juice" sounded the mocking voice of Draco Malfoy.

Hermione tried not to laugh, Draco was clearly joking and she would not rise to the bait.

"Fuck off Malfoy" Ron sneered at him.

"Not that it's any business of yours Weasley, but I'm here for Granger. We have a project to do and I have just the strength to stomach the presence of such filth without ruining my lunch. So, you need to bugger off" Malfoy sneered back, feeling guilty at his racial slur towards his new friend.

Harry suddenly remembered what Hermione had told him earlier that morning and how he had promised to keep their friendship secret. So, he tried to get Ron to back off and give Hermione the space she had wanted with her unlikely friend.

"Come on Ron, the sooner we let her go, the sooner she can come back" Harry said, it worked and Ron backed down but still wore a look of disgust towards Malfoy on his face.

"You hurt her Malfoy, one tear sheds from her eye and it's because of you, I will kill you" Ron turned round and started heading back towards to common room.

Draco glared at the retreating redhead and then looked back to Harry.

"Look after her Malfoy" Harry said civilly, shocking the hell out of Draco.

Hermione smiled. Harry was keeping his promise to her and he was trying his best and was doing well at it.

Harry nodded at Draco in a mutual sort of agreement and Draco found himself nodding back.

Harry then smiled at Hermione and hugged her.

"See you later sis" he said to her before following Ron down the hall.

Once the two boys were out of sight, Hermione and Draco headed towards their secret room that they had found in the dungeons. They used this room privately and had never seen anyone else in or near the room; it had been covered in dust and clearly not used in years. It was their secret getaway, their sanctuary.

"What was that with Potter?" Draco asked once they had sat down.

"Harry knows about our friendship, he won't tell anyone about it but he has promised to be more civil towards you" Hermione answered him.

"How the hell did you manage that?" Draco asked and then frowned as he saw his friends face drop.

"After I told Harry about what had happened to me, he went to Dumbledore. Dumbledore called me into his office to tell me off again. I shouted back and got upset so I ran outside, it was pouring with rain and I just passed out. Next thing I know is I'm waking up in the hospital wing. Once discharged, I went back to my room and couldn't sleep. Harry also couldn't sleep and we both found ourselves awake at 5am in the common room and decided to clear the air there and then. He apologised and said he would do anything to help me. I told him he could start by accepting our friendship, I said that you guys didn't have to like each other but just be civil when no one is looking" Hermione told him.

Draco nodded.

"I saw you, you know" he said to her.

Hermione looked at him confused for a moment before he elaborated.

"While you were in the infirmary, Severus told me so I snuck in when it was clear to see you, you were so pale. You had all of us worried, especially Severus. He barely left your side apart from classes; you've got him wrapped around your little finger, haven't you?" Draco said teasingly.

Hermione blushed, she knew Severus had sat with her while she was out but she didn't quite believe what Madame Pompfrey had told her, until now.

Hermione stuck her tongue out at him childishly and he returned the gesture.

"Anyway, enough about me and my drama...I'm moving on. What about you? Is everything alright?" She asked him.

He frowned. Hermione instantly knew that something was wrong. Draco sighed.

"I've had a letter from my father. The Dark Lord is making plans, he's not acting yet but he will do soon. After the prison breakout, his next moves are going to be put into effect around Christmas. There was a meeting, Severus knows about it because he was there but, there's something else" Draco paused, wondering if to tell her the whole truth or not.

Hermione grabbed his arm and encouraged him to continue. Draco took s deep breath.

"My father and the Dark Lord want me to take the mark when I become of age. I don't want to do it but it will literally be a matter of life and death if I don't" Draco told her miserably.

Hermione's heart lurched at her friends anguish. The poor boy had been dealt an awful hand. It would be the dark mark or death. At least he had another year and a half before he became of age, hopefully it wouldn't come to it.

Hermione and Draco sat in a comforting embrace for a while before Draco broke the tension once more.

"And why does the golden girl have detention with the dreaded potions master?" He asked her teasingly.

Hermione flushed and mumbled her response.

"Didn't quite catch that sweetie" he said.

"I said, he caught Harry, Ron and I whilst we were intoxicated and practically served us to Professor McGonagall on a silver platter" Hermione said sheepishly.

Draco whistled.

"Damn, you really know how to attract attention to yourself don't you?" He stated rhetorically.

"Also, what were you doing drinking? Didn't think you had it in you" he commented.

Hermione grimaced.

"I think I'm getting sick and an old muggle tradition says that if you have a small amount of whiskey, it keeps sickness away" she told him.

"So muggles are absolutely off their nut?" Draco remarked jokingly.

That earned a half-hearted slap from Hermione as she laughed at him.

"Are you feeling alright though?" He asked her, genuinely concerned.

"I felt dizzy from the alcohol earlier, but that's passed now. I still feel like I'm getting a cold or the flu though" she muttered miserably. She hated being ill and missing her classes.

"Well if that's the case, I also heard a muggle expression once. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever' and it looks like its dinnertime. So, let's go and get some warm food in you, besides you have a detention later with lover boy" he mocked, making a slight kissing face.

Hermione's jaw dropped and she flushed a brilliant shade of red before muttering expletives at him, in good jest, as they parted and walked separately to the dinner hall.

"How was the project Mione? Did Malfoy do anything to hurt you?" Ron asked, already standing up, before she had barely sat down.

"Simmer down Ron! No, he was perfectly civil, we did the work, we didn't speak and we came here, end of" she stated firmly.

Ron relaxed slightly and turned his attention back to his food.

"Looking forward to detention Harry?" She asked.

Harry grimaced

"I dread to imagine what he's going to make me do" he said shivering.

"Speaking of, I'd better head there now. I will see you guys on the other side" he said and he headed towards the dungeons.

Harry knocked on the door at exactly 5pm and it opened. As he walked in, he saw a massive stack of papers and instantly regretted coming to detention. This was going to be painful.

"As you can see Potter, these papers need to be sorted into the correct year, the correct house and then ordered alphabetically. If you complete that in the first two hours, I have something else planned for you. Do not let me see you slacking, your behaviour today was unacceptable and you must be punished for it. Do not let it happen again" Severus warned his student.

The boy nodded and headed towards the stack of papers but paused for a moment. He turned back towards his professor, who was looking at him expectantly with an eyebrow raised.

"Professor, may I say something? It's completely if record, of course, but I feel it's something that needs to be said" Harry asked hesitantly.

Severus prepared for whatever insult the boy was going to throw at him and nodded his acceptance of the boy's request.

"Thank you" Harry said sincerely.

Severus was now confused, it must've shown on his face because Harry continued.

"Thank you for everything you've done for Hermione. If it hadn't have been for you, I doubt she would still be here" Harry said, boldly looking into the professors eyes.

Severus said nothing and Harry turned to do his work.

"If you had been there for her in the first place, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we Potter? Remember that" the potions professor replied in a neutral tone.

Harry's face turned to one of guilt as he nodded and continued his task.

'Maybe the boy was finally growing up' Severus thought to himself.

Hermione Granger was making her way towards the dungeons for detention. She was feeling awful. She was now coughing, sneezing and her throat had begun to hurt. Her eyes were stinging and her head was throbbing. She felt exhausted and weak and on the verge of collapse.

As she approached Severus' office, she knocked on the door and when given the command, she entered.

The first thing she came across was her Professor's apologetic expression, she frowned in confusion until she realised what was going on. She noticed that there was someone else in the room.

Hermione looked at the pink toad of the castle and felt her heart stop at the smug grin on her face.

"Miss Granger, I am sure you are familiar with Professor Umbridge. Now, let's begin detention" Severus said, whilst silently begging that her Gryffindor impulsiveness did not cause any trouble tonight.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Wow! I had such a positive response from all of you this week, that's amazing! I'm so glad that you are all still enjoying this story as much as I am writing it. I had a question about, in terms of grading, if a 'T' mark should be an 'F' mark. For those who don't know or are unaware, in JK's world the grading is different to what we have in schools, a 'T' basically stands for 'Troll' which is one of the lowest grades a witch or wizard can get on a paper but it is equivalent to what would be an 'F' grade for us. I hope this helps! I also was asked about the progression of this story, I know it seems like it's moving a bit slowly but that will change soon, just please stick with me and there will be some developments in the story soon! In this chapter, things start to heat up between Severus and Hermione. Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing and interacting with this story, I've got about 34 chapters written now and I'm excited about where this story is going. Many Thanks! :)**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Sexual situations, bad language, mentions of rape**

 **Detentions, Sickness, Meetings and an Awkward Encounter**

Severus had been subtly watching Potter work in his detention task for the last hour and a half. His mind kept reeling over the small display of maturity that Potter had shown him tonight and hoped that he would see future displays of maturity.

Severus decided that the boy had suffered long enough and was just about to dismiss Potter from his detention when all things pink entered his office.

"Severus, I heard the troublesome trio had been given detention tonight and I came to see if you needed assistance in your discipline" Umbridge declared.

"Unfortunately Madame, Mr Potter had fulfilled his detention and I am just about to dismiss him. Secondly Madame, I have been an educator here for nearly 15 years, I have not, nor ever will, need assistance in disciplining my students. My methods can be just as tormenting as yours" Severus told her darkly with a no nonsense tone.

Umbridge looked slightly miffed that she had missed Harry's detention but there was nothing else she could do about it and she watched as he was dismissed and walked away from her.

Then, Ron Weasley entered the classroom and immediately paled at the sight of his two worst nightmares stood right in front of him.

He was given the same task as Harry and grumpily set to work.

Severus was panicking slightly, there was an Order meeting tonight and there would be no way he could go, if the hag stayed. That was why he had scheduled Hermione's detention at 9pm, he could trust her in his office alone for a couple of hours after all.

Once Ron had been dismissed, he waited the arrival on Hermione, he could see the hag getting even smugger at the thought that the Gryffindor princess was, once again, in detention.

At 9pm, Hermione Granger knocked on his door. Severus was immediately concerned, the girl looked ill!

He mentioned Umbridge to her and set Hermione about her task. He had told her that she would be cleaning the cauldrons for her detention.

Umbridge had looked disappointed.

"Such a menial task, for such a troublemaker Severus? I thought, like the other two, you would have something a little more severe in store for...her" Umbridge commented in disdain, looking at Hermione as if she was nothing.

Severus was incensed, he was seething. How dare this bitch of a woman come in and tell him how he should handle his students?!

Hermione sensed this and grimaced. She wasn't sure what was going to happen between the two adults now but she couldn't quite help picturing Umbridge becoming Severus' next potions ingredient.

"Pardon me Madame, you are new here and quite clearly do not know the students as well as you think you do" Severus began.

Umbridge was indignant and went to jump in and answer back to Severus' comments but he swiftly continued.

"However, Miss Granger learns for leisure, she enjoys it. Any opportunity to use her brain, practise her organisational skills, show off her more intellectual abilities, she will be happy to do so. The reason I have given her such a 'menial' task is because it is just that, a menial task. It does not challenge her in anyway nor does it require her to use any of her so called 'skills', therefore her detention is just as tedious and as gruelling to her, as the paperwork was for Mr Potter and Mr Weasley. Next time Madame, I suggest you do not question me and my methods. I assure you I can be quite...disagreeable and you won't like it. Have I made myself clear Madame?" He said to Umbridge.

Umbridge looked slightly frightened by the tall, strong Professor and decided it was in her best interest to back off. She could only stay another half hour anyway as she had a meeting with the Minister tonight. She stepped back and observed silently.

Hermione began her task and Severus found himself feeling concerned over the young witch. She didn't seem herself tonight and it worried him, something was wrong.

Umbridge finally let herself out and Severus waited about 10 minutes to ensure the toad was not coming back.

It was in those minutes that Hermione was starting to get worse. She could feel herself falling asleep, like her body was forcing her into natural healing. She started shivering from fever and a cold sweat was beginning to break out all over her body.

Severus noticed and immediately went over to her and placed his hand on her forehead.

'Merlin, she's burning up!' Severus thought to himself.

He then did the only thing he could think of; he led Hermione to his personal rooms and made her lie down on the sofa.

She was pretty incoherent at this point and he quickly went to his storeroom to get something for her fever.

Once she had taken the potion and begun to cool down, Severus relaxed. There was nothing else he could do, unfortunately the flu was an illness that the body had to fight off in its own way, and there was no potion that could help her. Except maybe 'pepper up', but she didn't need that, what she needed was rest.

Severus looked down at her and noticed how uncomfortable she was; he decided to move her into his room and would sacrifice his bed so she could be as comfortable as she could to shake off her illness.

He managed to get her to her feet and steered her towards his bedroom. Hermione realised where they were heading and could think of nothing better than lying down and going to sleep.

"Bathroom first" she murmured to Severus.

He looked confused at her command but obeyed her anyway. No sooner had they entered the bathroom, Hermione lunged for the toilet and vomited.

Severus found himself in the same position he had been in many weeks before; standing behind her, holding back her hair and rubbing her back.

He would get her a potion that would settle her stomach but for now, she was sick and she needed rest.

After she had finished, Severus took her back to his room and placed her in bed. She fell asleep instantly. Severus checked her vitals and temperature before deeming her stable but exhausted and he left the room. He had an Order meeting to get to.

"Severus you are late" Minerva chastised, making him feel like a student again.

"My apologise Madame, I was overseeing detention and one of your cubs took a turn for the worst and is not feeling all that well" he informed her.

"You mean Miss Granger, don't you? When I saw her earlier I thought she looked slightly pale but I thought it was just the alcohol in her system" Minerva replied.

"Is she alright?" Minerva asked concerned.

"It's the flu, she practically passed out in my classroom and was very incoherent. She only just about managed to inform me that she needed to get to the bathroom in order to vomit. Luckily my rooms were right there for her" Severus told her.

"You allowed a student into your rooms?" Minerva asked him.

Severus nodded.

"I understand that it is inappropriate but the girl just needs rest, I left her sleeping in my rooms. I did tell her that if she ever needed anything then she should come to me" Severus told Minerva firmly.

"I wasn't accusing you of anything unsavoury Severus, she clearly trusts you the most, and I am confident that neither she or yourself would disobey the rules and embark on illicit activities" Minerva smirked, knowing full well that there was something more between them but was willing to turn a blind eye to it all.

Severus nodded in respect to Minerva and then Dumbledore entered and the meeting began.

"Settle down, we have much to discuss" Dumbledore announced.

Everyone immediately gave their attention to their leader in anticipation for any new information that they might be able to obtain.

"Sorry we are late" the voice of Arthur Weasley as he escorted Sirius Black into the room.

Severus felt Minerva tense up beside him and could swear that he had heard a growl from Lupin. He prayed that nobody said anything here in front of the whole Order; he relaxed when Dumbledore continued with the meeting.

"It seems Voldemort is trying to build up his ranks by gaining the support of other beasts such as trolls, Giants and wolves. We knew this was coming and as we all know that I sent Hagrid to gain support from other beasts. He has tried speaking with them but is unsure if he has been successful. He will continue his task. Other matters include Umbridge, she is trying to gain control of the school and she is trying to get rid of me. I have a feeling she will be successful. If that is to happen, Minerva you will take over the main duties at school, I will have little say in it but I trust that you, Severus and the rest of the staff will protect the students. If it becomes the case that I am not able to be part of the Order meetings then it will be Minerva who will take my place. Now, does anyone have anything else they would like to say?" Dumbledore asked the members.

"I was informed by Draco Malfoy that should you be demoted and Umbridge takes over, she will be creating a group that will mainly be formed of Slytherin house. This group will be her eyes and ears amongst students and the punishments will be most severe, as I understand it, for anyone who gets in her way" Severus told Dumbledore.

"Thank you Severus. We all must remain vigilant around the students, you never know who will turn against you" Dumbledore replied.

"What about Harry? How has he been fairing in all of this? He wrote to me some time ago and told me of the punishments that the ministry official exercises in her detentions. Is there not anything we can do about that Albus? My godson needs all the protection he can get after all" Sirius commented.

"It's not just Harry that's important here Sirius. With someone like Umbridge at the school, every student needs all the protection they can get. There are others involved in this you know" Remus snapped from his place at the table.

Everyone froze; it was rare to see Remus snap at anyone, let alone a close friend. Both Sirius and Tonks looked at Remus in shock at his outburst.

"That time of the month Remus?" Sirius questioned jokingly, still a little uncertain about his friends behaviour.

Remus' eyes snapped up to meet Sirius' and with a look of disdain and disgust at Sirius, Remus violently stood up and walked out of the room.

Severus let go of the breath that he had been holding as Dumbledore adjourned the meeting.

"What the devil is the matter with Remus?" Minerva wondered out loud.

"He knows" Severus responded knowing that Minerva would understand what he was talking about.

Minerva just nodded as they flooed back to the school.

"Now, I have a sick lion cub to attend to. Goodnight Minerva" Severus said as he made his way back to his quarters.

Hermione had stirred about 20 minutes ago, she felt dreadful and weak. She wondered where she was for a moment before realising she was in Severus' bed. She flushed at the thought. Then she wondered where Severus was but didn't have the strength to get up and investigate.

Hermione lay in the silence for a few more moments but she felt her stomach begin to churn. She immediately found the energy to get up out of bed and run to the bathroom in time to throw up once again.

Once done, she groaned, she really hates being sick. She flushed the loo and tried to tell herself that she could walk back to the bed, she desperately wanted more sleep.

She attempted to stand but her legs gave out and she landed on the floor, on her bum with a thud and gave up. She put her warm head down to meet the cool tiles on the bathroom floor.

That was how Severus found her 10 minutes later. He had returned and seen his bedroom door was open and the bathroom light was on. He waited a few moments to give Hermione some privacy before he called out to her.

He panicked when he got no response and so hesitantly opened the bathroom door with his eyes fixated on the floor just in case Hermione hadn't heard him and was bathing or using the loo.

His eyes immediately found her sleeping body on the floor, the lingering smell of vomit indicated that she had not been like this for very long and so he picked her up and carried her back to his bed.

Once he knew that she had settled, Severus went back into his lounging part of his rooms and he used magic to extend the size of his sofa and quickly changed into his bedclothes before settling down.

He had left his bedroom door open a crack just in case his Hermione would need him. Severus then sat up reading for the majority of the night until the early hours of the morning when his body forced himself into a restful sleep

Severus woke in the early afternoon and was surprised to see that he had slept peacefully for more than 8 hours, that rarely happened to him anymore.

He then headed towards his room to check on the invalid. When he entered his room he froze.

There lying on his bed was his Hermione, his sick Hermione and an also very naked Hermione.

Hermione had got so hot during the night, due to her fever, that she had stripped herself of her clothing in her sleep in order to be more comfortable.

The problem was that during the night, the covers had slipped down so that they were covering her waistline and below. Leaving her breasts completely exposed to the elements.

Severus had walked into his bedroom and realised that Hermione was naked when he got an eyeful of her naked breasts that had hardened due to the October chill of the dungeons.

Severus immediately averted his eyes and left the room, he was a gentleman after all. However, seeing Hermione in such a state of undress had done nothing to help his 'morning' erection. He was standing firmly to attention and showed no signs of standing down.

"Fuck" Severus hissed as his hand reached to give his dick a squeeze to try and relieve the tension in his balls, all he could see in his mind were the perfect, firm breasts that were Hermione Grangers and he was quickly submitting control to his body.

He gave himself a couple of strokes through his pyjama bottoms and groaned, he needed release and now.

He put his hand inside his trousers in order to get a firmer grip on himself and create a better friction and could feel himself getting closer and closer.

With a sudden snap inside his body, he came wickedly into his trousers, again. He was breathless, his eyes were dilated and his face was flushed.

He regained his senses and opened his eyes. He looked around the room and immediately locked eyes with a wide eyed, flushed faced, Gryffindor.

"Fuck" he said, turning the same shade as beetroot.

Hermione had stirred when she heard the door to Severus' bedroom creak slightly. She didn't pay much attention to it until she heard quickly retreating footsteps and it quickly woke her up.

She knew that the only other person in the vicinity was Severus and it worried her that he had been moving so quickly. Had something happened?

She chewed her lip in thought and that was when she noticed that her breasts were on display to the world. She squealed and snatched the covers and immediately pulled them around herself and tried to reassess the situation.

She remembered feeling ridiculously hot during the night and so she must have taken off her nightwear, which was fine. She also realised that she had slept for over 12 hours. She felt well rested and the sickness had passed, she now has to just shake off her cold.

She came to the conclusion that Severus must have woken up and came in to check on her or give her more potions and realised that she was naked and quickly legged it out of the room.

Hermione felt her face heat up. Merlin! How embarrassing was that? He had seen her breasts and had caught him completely off guard that he had fled the room.

She had to go and talk to him; she should try and explain herself at least. She quickly put on her pyjamas and made her way towards the lounge room.

She paused in the doorway as she took in the scene in front of her and could immediately feel her pulse quicken.

She was looking at Severus, who had his hands down his pants and was moving his hand in their so fast she was surprised there hadn't been a dislocation to his wrist.

She felt her womanhood twitch slightly and could feel some wetness forming down below. She clenched her thighs together to create some friction.

She watched as Severus' breathing laboured and knew he was on the brink of climax. She watched enthralled as he was sent over the edge and noticed a wet patch appear on the crotch of his pyjama bottoms.

Hermione's could feel her channel pulsing and dampening at the sight before her and she licked her lips as she took in the glorious sight that was a sated Severus Snape.

His eyes then met hers and she flushed again, she had been caught staring at him like some voyeur and immediately felt awful that she had trespassed on such a private moment.

"Fuck" she heard Severus mutter.

"Hermione- I apologise for my behaviour-" Severus began saying awkwardly but was cut off.

"Please…can you do that again?" Hermione begged her voice clear but gentle, praying that he would.

Severus looked at her squirming form in shock and noticed a small wet spot forming on her light grey bottoms; he then noticed the lust in her eyes. He felt himself harden slightly again.

'Already?!' He exclaimed to himself in his head and at his traitorous body, he wasn't even aware his body was still capable of responding so quickly.

'Merlin! This is going to be a true test on your restraint' he thought to himself.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: I just wanted to once again thank you all for supporting this story! I have had some amazing reviews and I am glad you're happy with the progression of the story! Many Thanks :)**

 **A/N: Chapter Warning – Sexual situation, bad language and violence**

 **Interruptions, Flashback and more Illness**

Severus was trying hard, very hard, to control himself. He didn't want to hurt her, even if she had practically begged for him.

"Hermione, it shouldn't be quite like this. I'm not going to push you into anything. I have obviously indicated that I am interested in you but I will not pressure you into anything, I refuse. This, just now, was a complete lapse in my own control, I was stupid to do what I did in the open where anyone could have seen me and I am embarrassed that I lost my control. It has been happening a lot since we had that first kiss, it has been a long time since any female has paid any attention, that way, to me and my body now reacts to you every time you breathe and I feel awful about it and guilty, but I don't regret it" he confessed to her.

Hermione, who was still hugely turned on had begun walking towards him, she wanted him to touch her, she wanted to know how it felt to truly be touched and she could think of no other better than Severus to do that.

Severus noticed that she was walking towards him with lust still in her eyes. He began to move backwards to keep the distance between them but he quickly found himself against a wall and Hermione was still stalking closer to him.

Gods! He was in trouble, he was already having difficulty breathing, he could smell her sweet arousal and it was killing him.

She eventually stopped in front of him and took in his appearance. His soiled trousers had another tent in them, his breathing was deep and unsteady, his face was still flushed and she wanted it, she wanted it all.

She leaned towards him and gave him a teasing kiss on his lips, it was gentle and with very little pressure.

Severus was trying to recite potions ingredients, trying to keep control. But his control was slipping.

His lips began to move against hers and the pair immediately began a frenzied attack of each other's mouth.

Hermione sighed happily as Severus gave in. He had turned them so Hermione was against the wall; he still gave her some space so that she would not feel constricted. He then lifted her, using the wall as leverage, and placed his knee between her legs to support her.

Hermione gasped, she was wearing thin pyjama bottoms and could clearly feel Severus' knee between her legs and his already hardened length against her hip, and she wanted him to press against her even more than he already was. She was squirming as she tried to find the friction where she needed it most but couldn't get the right angle.

She almost sobbed in sheer need as her body was throbbing all over, aching for a more intimate touch. She wanted his comfort, his presence. He made her feel safe when he had his arms wrapped around her as he held her. She couldn't believe that being this intimate with a man could ever feel this amazing.

She had one hand on his shoulder and her other hand had worked its way up his shirt and was resting on his abdomen.

Severus' hands had moved and one hand was on her waist and the other was placed around her ribs just below her breast.

The two were experiencing such an intense, intimate moment that neither of them heard the door to Severus' quarters open or the footsteps that halted upon seeing them.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A bookworm Gryffindor and the head on snakes...what a scandalous affair" said a familiar voice.

The pair sprang apart and righted themselves upon hearing the first words spoken by the anonymous person. Severus placed Hermione in front of himself in order to hide his current state as it was not acceptable for formal company.

The pair stared sheepishly and red faced at a very gleeful Draco Malfoy who was looking very smugly at the pair.

"So my godfather **is** quite the kisser then eh Granger?" Draco teased with a smirk.

Hermione knew she wouldn't be able to talk without stuttering but tried anyway.

"D-Draco, why a-are you here?" She managed to get out.

"Well I heard that my dear friend had taken rather ill you see. McGonagall told Potter that you weren't well and that Severus was taking care of you. I guessed you would be here; I came to see if you were alright. But, I can see that you are truly sick, don't worry Hermione, they can help nymphomaniacs these days" Draco teased her.

Hermione looked indignant and went to snap a witty response. He was only being playful after all. But Draco had already moved to taunting his dear godfather.

"Hiding behind females are we godfather? How very ungentlemanly of you! Shame on you professor" he mocked his godfather.

"Draco, I would prefer it if I could converse with you when both Hermione and myself are more decent. Would you mind giving us a moment?" Severus asked his godson.

"Not at all" Draco said as he moved to sit in Severus' lounge chair.

"That's not quite what I meant Draco" Severus said somewhat strained.

Draco wasn't stupid; he knew why Severus was hiding. Severus was the stoic, dark, brooding bat of the dungeons but he was still a man and that made him human enough.

"Sorry godfather, it's all you're going to get" Draco said, smirking once again.

Severus, with a red face, confidently and purposefully strode towards his bedroom, a tent still pitched in his bottoms, as he left the bedroom door slightly ajar so that Hermione could go in and grab her clothes if she so wished.

"He has quite a problem doesn't he? Courtesy of you no doubt, that was an impressive condition in which you left the state of his trousers" Draco laughed.

Hermione squeaked out some sort of response and hurriedly ran towards the bedroom to collect her things.

Once inside, Severus looked at her and began to apologise, once more, for his lapse in control and his brutish behaviour towards her.

Hermione wasn't having any of it and said that there was no use in apologising as it was going to happen a lot more in the near future.

Severus quickly put on his formal clothes whilst Hermione turned her back and then he left the room so she could have all the privacy she wanted. He was still slightly hard but his body was slowly heading back into a composed state.

Severus made his way carefully back to the lounge and with his wand. He straightened out the couch and removed all the sleeping stuff from it.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt this uncomfortable and embarrassed. He had been caught snogging a student, against a wall, in his personal rooms, by his godson. He grimaced knowing that his godson would squeeze every last drop of humiliation out of him. They were both Slytherin after all and Severus knew that Draco would not pass up the opportunity to embarrass him because it so rarely happened.

He looked at Draco who was grinning madly at him.

'Oh Gods! Here comes the torment' he mentally prepared himself.

"Quite an impressive stain on your pyjama bottoms, eh Severus?" Draco commented going straight for the jugular.

Severus flushed red at the fact he had been seen in such a state.

'Humiliation complete' he thought as Draco sniggered at his godfather's response.

"Draco, I love you dearly son but if you keep talking about that, I will have to take some serious action" Severus warned.

Draco just chuckled.

"Looks like you were already doing that when I walked in the room" Draco sniggered.

Severus glared at his non-blood related son but in only made Draco laugh harder.

Severus couldn't keep up his glare and he relaxed into an easy smile as he watched the boy.

Draco had been going through a rough time recently, the Dark Lord was trying to force Lucius to get Draco to take the dark mark before he came back to school but Severus had persuaded the Dark Lord that it would be safer not to, now that the ministry was poking their noses into Hogwarts business. The Dark Lord had agreed and told Lucius to hold off until Draco was of age. It brought them time to think about what to do next.

Lucius wasn't a bad man, he just wanted his family safe and if that meant he had to blindly follow the Dark Lords orders, then Lucius Malfoy would do it.

Severus knew Draco didn't really understand the full extent of what was happening around him and thought back to one particular incident that had occurred over the summer.

The Dark Lord had heard about Draco's character and performance at school and decided that he would be a perfect death eater, one day, when the time was right but Draco would need to start being trained and conditioned now in order to achieve that. So, the Dark Lord ordered Lucius to punish Draco as a form of 'character building', in front of an entire revel of supporters that the Dark Lord already had. Draco was to remain uninformed about what was going to happen and Lucius was told that if he did not deliver the punishment then the Dark Lord would kill Draco on the spot. Again, Draco was to remain uninformed about all of this, the Dark Lord reasoned that the more anger the boy had, the better death eater he would make.

Severus remembered how a half-asleep Draco was practically dragged into the meeting room just after midnight, at Malfoy Manor, by the house elf. Draco looked very confused and slightly frightened, even though he had done his best to try and mask it. The Dark Lord had then ordered Lucius to proceed and Lucius stepped forward and raised his wand at his own son, with a slight tremor of his hand, and began to cast the cruciatus curse on him.

A betrayed Draco had tried to fight it but the pain had been too much and he eventually began to scream. He was to be held under the curse for ten minutes and then he was to be whipped ten times on both the back and front of his body and then he was to be held under the cruciatus for a further ten minutes. Then the process was to be repeated.

Severus had watched in vein, wanting to help the boy but knowing that he, Draco and Narcissa would be killed for it if Severus interrupted.

After a horrific hour, Lucius had finished what he had been ordered to do and Severus was ordered to assist the boy back to his room. Severus had picked Draco up and carried the near unconscious boy out of the room.

He had made it to Draco's room and was nearly deafened by the tortured screams of Narcissa Malfoy, who was sat waiting in a chair in her son's room, as she took in the sight of her only child.

Severus placed Draco on the bed and ordered the house elf to get a variety of potions so that he could heal Draco. Narcissa had sat on the bed and was cradling her son's head in her hands as she wept inconsolably over him.

After the potions were administered and Draco had regained consciousness, Severus sat next to Draco and breathed a sigh of relief. He really hadn't been sure if the mental state of his godson would still be intact after that.

Draco had leaned over and hugged Severus and had thanked him for his help. Severus responded with a light, fatherly kiss to his godson's forehead as Draco fell back into a restful sleep.

Severus had then stood up and decided to make his leave; he hesitated when he turned back and saw the angry look on Narcissa's face that was directed at the thought of her husband.

"It wasn't Lucius' fault, he was trying to protect you all" Severus had told her.

"This is what you call protection?" She snapped back at him in anger.

"It was this or watch Draco die" Severus had told her solemnly, ignoring the woman's attitude towards him.

Narcissa had looked at her sleeping son and then back to Severus in shock, the anger now gone from her face. Severus nodded at her in confirmation and he left the room to go and find Lucius.

The meeting had been dismissed after Severus had left with Draco and so Severus knew that he would find Lucius somewhere in the Manor, probably the study, so Severus made his way down to Lucius' study.

He had knocked but had received no reply so he had entered anyway and froze at the sight before him.

The whole study had been trashed, there were important papers crumpled, ripped and slung everywhere, important books had been torn apart and furniture had been upturned. Severus then spotted Lucius and his heart had sunk to the pit of his stomach.

Lucius had been sat, on the floor, opposite the fireplace. He'd had a bottle of fire whiskey in one hand and was staring blankly at the fire, shaking and with tears streaming down his face.

Severus had never seen his friend in such a state and had no idea what to do. So, he just sat next to him on the floor and they shared the whiskey and Severus watched as Lucius cried over what he had been forced to do to his own son.

"Look what I did to my boy, Severus. He's my child, my baby boy, my son and look at what I did to him" Lucius had whispered.

Lucius had never laid a hand on his son, not in punishment and not in comfort. Lucius had been scared when Narcissa had told him she was with child; Lucius was frightened of becoming his father, Abraxas Malfoy, and vowed never to let that happen. He had been true to that vow, until tonight and Lucius would never forgive himself for it.

At that point of thought, Lucius had begun to get drowsy so Severus had helped Lucius lay on the sofa that was in the study and had left the distraught man and father to fall into a restless sleep.

Severus knew that the Malfoy's would pull together as a family, for the sake of public appearance, the following day.

Severus snapped out of his memory and found his godson staring at him, with his eyebrow raised in question and Hermione, who had joined them, was looking at him with a concerned expression.

"Are you alright Severus? You spaced out completely and didn't hear us trying to talk to you or anything" Hermione said gently.

It was obvious that Severus was not going to tell the two what he was thinking about, so they didn't say anything else about it and Draco, seizing the opportunity, went back to taunting his godfather and his new friend.

"So my bookworm friends, what's going on between the two of you?" He asked waggling his eyebrows.

Hermione flushed and Severus tried his best to groan in annoyance.

"Draco, Severus and I well we...I mean, I initiated that particular moment but we-" Hermione was struggling to find the right words, luckily Severus jumped to her rescue.

"We have both established that there is something more between us than friendship. I am reluctant to allow anything to happen until Hermione becomes of age but the little minx likes to test my composure and she does a good job. Earlier, there was a compromising situation and both our guards were down and both our controls snapped and I put up little resistance. I apologise, once again, for my ungentlemanly behaviour Hermione. I should have shown more restraint" Severus said.

"I didn't want you to show restraint, I wanted you to touch and kiss me" Hermione told him again. She loved Severus' chivalrous nature but in intimate moments, it was slightly irritating.

Severus just nodded in acknowledgement of what she had said and vowed to lessen his restraint on himself.

"How are you feeling? I trust the potions worked, you definitely have your energy back" Severus winked at her.

Draco's jaw dropped. His godfather had just winked, like a normal bloke. Damn he was going to remember this moment and use it against his godfather at a later date.

"So, the illness thing wasn't a ploy, you were actually sick?" Draco asked Hermione.

She nodded.

"Yes I was truly ill, the potions have worked but I still feel tired and still have a sore throat and itchy eyes. But Severus already said that potions can cure vomiting but not a common cold" she told them.

"I bet a tongue down that sore throat has done no favours for you, has it?" Draco joked.

This time it was Severus' jaw that dropped in surprise as he didn't see that comment coming and he watched frozen, as Hermione squeaked and launched a pillow towards Draco's head with successful results.

Draco barely noticed, he was laughing too much.

"Thank you for that Draco. Now, what do you want? Answer before I sling you out by your ear" Severus said sarcastically.

"Oh right! Well I did come to see if Hermione was alright but also, I was wondering if I can use your personal potions lab for an hour or so" Draco asked.

Severus looked at his godson. He had given Draco permission to use his lab whenever he wanted. Severus nodded at Draco.

"Of course, you know the rules and let me see what you are brewing before you go in there" he said to Draco.

Draco pulled out a folded piece of paper with instructions and ingredients on it and nodded in approval.

"That is acceptable, call me if you need assistance" Severus told him as Draco headed in the direction of the lab.

Once Draco was gone, the pair turned to each other.

"We need to be more careful Hermione. If that had not been Draco, we could've been in trouble. Especially with Umbridge around" Severus said seriously.

Hermione nodded in agreement, she couldn't lose this, whatever it was, that she had with Severus. It would destroy them both. She moved and sat next to Severus once more and placed her head on his shoulder.

He looked down at her and smiled. Their eyes met and they both went in for another kiss. It was just a small gesture this time, nothing as carnal as earlier but it was satisfying all the same.

Severus abruptly stopped and withdrew quickly from the kiss.

Hermione looked at him in confusion for a second and then, Severus then let out a massive sneeze.

He froze, Hermione stared at him wide eyed and he turned back to face her, sniffling slightly.

"Witch! I haven't been sick in two decades!" He exclaimed.

Severus Snape was not the most civil person to be around on a good day, he was even worse when he was ill.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Once again thank you all for your continued support! You guys are amazing...hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

 **A/N: Chapter Warning – Bad language and violence**

 **Snapped Patience, an Anniversary and Revealed Past's**

Hermione headed down to her potions class with Harry and Ron. It had been two days since Draco had walked in on her and Severus and Draco still playfully teased her at every opportunity about it.

Hermione had also recovered from her cold illness and she was feeling much better and she was happy to be back to her normal routine without feeling extremely tired and achy. However, the same could not be said for Severus.

Severus had not been ill in years but since the return of the Dark Lord, he had been eating less and not taking care of himself. Therefore his immune system was weak and susceptible to illness. He had been taking potions but nothing had helped, he hated that there was nothing that could help a cold and he was like a bear with a sore head and had no patience whatsoever, it provided entertainment when teaching his classes.

He watched as his fifth year potions class that included his godson and his Hermione, filtered into the room. He was thankful that this was his last class of the day.

He sneered at his students, it was All Hallows' Eve and his students were excited and practically bouncing off the walls due to sheer sugar intake, making them even more annoying than normal.

Severus was nostalgic, normally this day brought sadness and guilt to Severus' life but for the first time, he didn't feel as upset as he normally did and it made him wonder why this was.

Severus looked up and saw his class looking at him, waiting for him to begin the lesson. He caught the eye of one ray of sunshine and she gave him a secret smile and that was when he realised that Hermione had been healing his heart and soul just as much as he'd been healing hers and he had to fight a smile. He didn't want his students to die of pure shock, although the idea was amusing.

He then immediately felt guilty, how could he possibly be even slightly cheerful on this day, he almost felt like he was insulting the memory of his childhood friend and immediately felt angry at himself. He felt conflicted, angry at himself, he was ill and he may have indulged in some whiskey at breakfast, lunch and in his free period and he was now feeling the effects and he was ashamed to admit it but, he was unprofessionally squiffy. This was not going to be a good combination.

Without saying a word, he put the instructions and page number up on the board and then signalled to the students to get moving.

The students bustled about collecting their potions ingredients and began brewing. Severus sat in his chair and put his head in his hands, he was burning up and all he wanted to do was crawl back into bed, he could feel himself falling asleep at his desk and tried to fight it because he knew that leaving a class, of mostly incompetent students, to make a potion was an extremely dangerous thing to do.

Hermione noticed that he really wasn't well and tried to think of something she could do to help him. Draco, who had partnered up with her, had also noticed that his godfather hadn't looked too great and was worried.

BANG!

Severus startled, leapt to his feet with his wand drawn towards the explosion. He had been half asleep and had forgotten where he was; he had heard the explosion and considered it an immediate threat.

The students froze as their professor drew his wand at a nervous looking Neville, who was now pale and shaking violently as he noticed that he was about to be on the receiving end of a potential hex.

Severus stalked over to the poor teenager and grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"YOU STUPID, IDIOTIC, WASTE OF MY TIME. WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM YOU INCOMPETENT FOOL? GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CLASSROOM AND DO NOT COME BACK!" Snape roared at a petrified Neville.

Neville immediately jumped up, without even grabbing his books or bag, and fled from the room along with several other students who had been terrified by their potions professors' reaction.

In fact, the only ones who remained were Draco, Hermione, Harry and Ron. The rest of the students had gone; even the Slytherin's had decided that it was too dangerous for them to stay.

"That was uncalled for Snape!" Ron exclaimed angrily.

The room fell silent as Severus whirled around to face Ron. As Severus began stalking towards Ron, Ron immediately began to realise that he'd fucked up and had begun to look quite nervous.

"How dare you Weasley! Don't tell me how I should and should not run my classroom. Potions are volatile; I cannot let one student put the rest at risk. You will be lucky to get a T on your exams this year judging by the assignments you have submitted so far" Snape glared at the red head.

Ron glared back, embarrassed that his professor had just revealed to his friends that he was practically failing the class when he had been making out that he'd been doing really well.

Harry and Hermione looked between Snape and Ron, bewildered at first and then surprised that Ron had been lying to them about his grades.

Without a word, Ron grabbed his things and angrily stormed out of the classroom.

Harry then lost his cool and turned towards Snape, eager to defend his best friend.

Hermione intervened and halted Harry in his movements and shook her head.

"Don't Harry, here, take Neville's things and give them to him. Then go and find Ron and stop him from doing anything stupid" Hermione ordered Harry.

Harry looked like he was about to argue but then noticed the look on Snape's face. He then looked at Hermione, concerned to be leaving his sister in the same room as the unstable man. Harry then turned to Draco and silently asked if he'd watch out for Hermione if Harry left. Draco nodded and Harry hurriedly took off after his friends.

The two remaining students looked at each other before looking back at their professor. Severus had sat down in one of the students chairs, drained of all energy and a distraught look on his face.

Both students had no clue what to do, they both knew Severus hadn't been feeling too good but there was no way that the way he was responding was down to illness, there was something else and neither knew what.

"Severus, we're going to take you to your rooms, you need to go to sleep. Do you want any potions at all?" Draco asked gently.

Severus just stared blankly ahead, eyes glazed and looking rather morbid. Hermione looked at him and deemed it safe to move closer to him and that's when she smelt it.

"Severus, have you been drinking today?" She asked already knowing the answer.

Severus gave no response and so the pair looked at each other, trying to figure out which steps they needed to take next. They eventually decided to just carefully manoeuvre him to his room and hope that he would sleep off the alcohol and be in a better mood after some rest.

Once in Severus' room, the two teens sat him on the edge of the bed so that they could pull back the covers so he could get into bed.

Hermione was preparing his bed and was asking Draco if he thought they should get Severus a sleeping draught.

"Draco, are you alright? Did you hear what I said about the potions?" She asked him when he didn't respond.

Hermione took a closer look at Draco and noticed that he had a shocked look on his face, almost a frightened look on his face, as he was looking at Severus.

Hermione could only see the back of Severus, so she moved to stand next to Draco to see what he looked so worried about.

Hermione gasped; there was Severus Snape, sat on the edge of his bed, looking straight through his two friends as if he hadn't even noticed that they were there in the first place. He wore a sad expression upon his face and he was, crying.

Severus had always hated this day. It was the one day a year where he allowed himself to think upon his past, his weaknesses, his regrets and all the bad, dark parts of his life. He always allowed himself to let his guard slip and wallowed in the unfairness of life.

Hermione knelt down in front of him, hoping that she wouldn't frighten him and gently placed the palm of her hand against the side of his face and stroked his cheek with her thumb.

Severus seemed to snap back to reality and, for the first time, noticed that he had been taken to his bedroom and that his two favourite people in the world were looking at him with such concern that he was momentarily confused; his brain worked a lot more slowly when he was a bit tipsy.

Then Severus felt the wetness on his cheeks and was immediately embarrassed that he was crying, in front of his godson and his Hermione. He looked down at the floor ashamed, almost like a chastised child.

"Severus, what's the matter?" Draco asked him.

Severus looked back up at just stared at Draco, trying to form some sort of response but coming up blank.

"What can we do to help?" Hermione added, wanting desperately to help stop him from being in such emotional pain.

Severus didn't know whether it was the alcohol or whether it was just the emotional turmoil, but he turned to look at both of his students and his friends.

"I'm going to tell you a story" he said.

The two students looked at him and then at each other before moving to sit comfortably on the bed with Severus.

"When I was a young boy, I grew up in an awful home. My father was a muggle and my mother never told him she was a witch. After they had married and I was born, everything was normal for a while. Then, when I was about five, I started showing signs of developing magic and I would have episodes of accidental magic. My muggle father was naturally confused and so my mother told him that she was a witch and that she could do magic as well. My father was extremely angry and he left the house only to come back sometime later completely drunk and that was when he started hitting my mother and he took her to their bedroom. I don't really know what happened but my mother's screams lasted hours. Eventually, I'm assuming my mother had lost consciousness, my father came out of the bedroom and turned on me and he hit me, kicked me, punched me, he did anything that would satisfy his anger and eventually I lost consciousness too" he paused in his explanation to take in the expressions of the two unlikely friends.

They were both in shock; they couldn't have said anything even if they had wanted to. They were trying to process what they had been told, in all the years Draco had known his godfather he never suspected that anything like this had ever happened.

Severus looked at the stunned pair and decided to continue, he found it easier when there was silence, almost like talking to four concrete walls and no one to pass judgement.

"As I got older, I would spend as much time away from home as I could. There was a lake that I would often go to, it was beautiful in summer, and the way the trees swayed in the light summer breeze was magical. One day, I was sat by my tree and I could hear a girl shouting, complaining about something. The word 'freak' was being said I believe, I thought someone had found me and was talking to me so I stepped out to face whoever it was. I was surprised to see instead, two sisters, one looked upset and the other looked angry. The angry sister saw me and ran for it but the other sister stayed. We became friends, and I showed her that I was also a 'freak' and would show her minor bits of magic. She showed me her magical abilities and we became firm friends. We found out that we were both going to Hogwarts and we would be in the same year. I had never been happier, she was the one and only friend I had ever truly had" Severus paused again.

Hermione and Draco both wore gentle smiles on their faces. They were happy that a young Severus had been able to find happiness somewhere in his dark life.

"We got to Hogwarts and she was sorted into Gryffindor and I was obviously sorted into Slytherin. It wasn't a big deal at first, we were in different houses but we were still friends. Then she began to make friends in her own house and her friends hated me. In fact they bullied me, called me names, and played pranks on me at my expense. I could handle it as long as I had her" he smiled grimly as he reminisced at the memories.

Hermione was appalled for the young Severus. He was abused at home when he was just an innocent, defenceless child. He was then bullied at school for being different and a Slytherin.

"One day in our fifth year, I was being taunted by her friends again and she stepped in to help me. I was full of pride and she was damaging my ego and I said something to her, something that I would forever regret and something that deeply upset her and no matter how much I apologised and tried to make it up to her, she never forgave me. At the same time I turned to the only people who would have me, Lucius Malfoy and his 'friends'" Severus said darkly.

Both teens now felt awkward, Severus' only friend had turned her back on him completely and that had meant that she had indirectly served Severus to the death eaters complete with a tidy bow. Severus had sought approval elsewhere and had found the death eaters.

'Poor Severus' Hermione thought sadly to herself.

"Then, my dear friend, married my main tormentor and I never really saw her again" Severus finished. He'd only just scratched the surface with this story but he had begun to feel sleepy and the effects of the alcohol were subsiding, now leaving him with a sense of fear that he had completely opened up and told them things that could blow his entire cover. He was going to have to teach them both legilimency.

"What did you say to your friend that caused her to turn her back on you?" Draco asked his godfather.

Severus gave a quick glance at Hermione, paled slightly and looked down ashamed.

"I called her a Mudblood" he murmured gently.

Draco's eyes widened in surprise, his godfather had always been respectful and had never been prejudice when it came to blood.

Hermione grimaced, having been called that name a few times, she could understand on some level. But to never forgive Severus, for making a mistake, when he had apologised for it and begged for forgiveness. That was slightly tragic, especially where Severus ended up after it.

"Severus, you did something that you didn't mean to do, you made a mistake, and you did something human. You tried to right the wrong by apologising. If it had been me, I would have been mad but I would've forgiven you eventually" Hermione tried to comfort a miserable looking Severus.

"Would you though? Truly? Would you ever forgive someone who had said that to you, whether they had meant it or not?" He asked, not fully believing her.

"I forgave Draco" she whispered sincerely.

Severus looked up at her surprised, he hadn't thought about that. Judging by the look on Draco's face, neither had he.

Draco immediately swooped in and gave Hermione a fierce hug.

Severus couldn't help but feel slightly jealous; Hermione had been so forgiving of Draco. He couldn't help but wish that the same thing had happened between him and Lily, in fact, he wished he had never said it in the first place.

"Who was she the girl? Who were your tormentors?" Draco asked.

"Lily Evans was the name of the girl" Severus said slowly, looking at Hermione once again.

'Lily Evans?' Hermione thought, she recognised that name.

"The tormentors?" Hermione asked gently.

Severus sighed knowing that he would regret telling them all of this in the morning.

"They were Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter" Severus said.

Both the students gasped in surprise.

"Lily Evans? You were best friends with Harry's mum? And Harry's dad and his friends tormented you?" Hermione questioned, making sure she had it right.

Severus nodded.

"Well no wonder you hate Potter! Your only friend married your tormentor and now their prodigy is running around the castle. Like it's being flaunted in your face" Draco remarked, finally understanding why his godfather had it out for Potter.

Severus just nodded.

"That's why you are drinking and having a difficult day today. Isn't it?" Hermione questioned.

Again Severus nodded and he yawned as he settled himself in his bed, he was ready for sleep.

"I don't follow. What has his history with Potter's mum got to do with how Severus has been acting today?" Draco queried.

Hermione looked back at Severus and noticed that he was very nearly asleep. She leant down and pulled the covers over him and placed a light kiss to his forehead. She then ushered Draco out of the room and shut the door quietly behind her.

"Today is the anniversary of her death. Today is the day Harry's parents were killed by Voldemort" Hermione told him in a hushed voice, just in case Severus could still hear them.

"Ah, poor Severus" Draco said.

The pair decided to leave Severus' quarters in order to get something to eat. It was the Halloween feast and both students were looking forward to it, even after the morbid insight to Severus' life.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Thank you for all your positive feedback and comments, you guys are amazing! Hope you enjoy this next chapter, enjoy! :)**

 **A/N: Chapter Warning – Bad language, potential mentions of Rape and violence**

 **Conclusions, Hogsmeade and Legilimency Lessons**

As they were leaving, Draco and Hermione came across a furious looking Professor McGonagall who was clearly making her way down towards the dungeons and towards Severus' quarters.

"Miss Granger, where is he?" Minerva said angrily through gritted teeth.

"Please Professor, don't go down there and disturb him. He's not very well, he caught the illness I had at the weekend and he's taken a really strong sleeping draught and is currently in a deep sleep. You won't get any response from him for a while" Hermione told her head of house, half lying and telling some truth.

"He's always more unstable when he's sick" Minerva replied, relaxing just slightly.

"However, you should see what he has done to Mr Longbottom, he has needed three calming draught's in the last couple of hours and he's been supplied with dreamless sleep. Also, some other students from your class have been shaken up by his actions and also needed calming. But Mr Longbottom is the worst, he's still unresponsive, just stares ahead and doesn't say a thing, he's in severe shock and cannot snap out of it" Minerva told the students sadly.

"Oh, poor Neville! I hope he's alright. Well, like I said, Severus is asleep so I doubt it would be satisfying to shout at him now" Hermione said.

She looked at her head of house who was just staring at her with a raised eyebrow and the ghost of a smile flickered on the older witch's mouth. Confused, Hermione shrugged her shoulders and turned to Draco who was also staring at her, with his eyes wide.

"What?" She asked Draco.

Draco leaned in closer to her so that he could whisper in her ear.

"You called him Severus" Draco whispered.

Hermione blinked. Gods! She hadn't even realised, she hadn't even thought about it.

There was a tense silence.

"Well, I shall annoy him in the morning then" Minerva stated.

Minerva turned to walk back up the stairs, in the direction that would take her to the upper levels of the castles. She paused when she got to the top.

"Oh, Miss Granger? Ensure in future, that when in public, you are more wary of your familiarity with Professor Snape" Minerva grinned.

Hermione flushed and Minerva continued her journey.

"Smooth Granger, nicely done. Could you have been any more obvious?" Draco told her jokingly, with a hint of seriousness.

"To be honest, I think she is aware that there is something more" Hermione told him.

"Really?" Draco asked, shocked that a professor may potentially know what was going on behind closed doors and refused to intervene.

Hermione nodded. The pair headed up towards the main hall for the Halloween feast that had already begun. They entered separately and Hermione went and joined Harry and Ron.

Ron was busy, as usual, eating as much as he possibly could. Ron's love for Halloween treats was like a child at Christmas. Hermione watched amused and repulsed as Ron opened another chocolate frog.

Whilst Ron was occupied, Harry turned to Hermione.

"What was the deal with Snape then?" Harry asked.

Hermione thought back on the story that Severus had told her and Draco. Harry had always been convinced that Severus had some personal vendetta against him. To an extent, Harry was probably right.

Hermione had thought logically about what Severus had told her earlier and she had put everything together. She concluded that there were two factors to think about. The first was that Severus hated Harry, it could be explained that Severus' childhood friend had married and bore the child of Severus' childhood bully. Therefore it was natural for Severus to take a disliking to Harry, which would make sense when looking back on how Severus had treated Harry over the years.

But, there was a second factor involved; well that was Hermione's theory anyway. Severus spoke and treated everyone in a similar way to how he treated Harry, people only noticed because Harry was 'the boy who lived'. However, what if Severus was trying to protect Harry?

It made sense, his childhood friend ends up hating him and he spends the rest of her life trying to make up for his mistake. So, Severus makes it his mission to try and do right by her, even from afar, and that includes the protection of her only child after her death.

It all made sense. Hermione would never voice her thoughts of course. Severus was a double agent, if anyone found out that he was potentially protecting Harry Potter, Severus would die.

"Apparently he's not well, which would explain his mood today" Hermione said, trying to shrug it off as nothing and change the topic of discussion.

"How's Neville?" Hermione asked, noting the boys' absence.

"He will be alright. I think he just needs some sleep" Ron told her through his mouthful.

Harry then remembered something and tripped over his words as he tried to excitedly tell his friends.

"According to Dumbledore, there is another Hogsmeade visit this weekend" Harry said.

"What? Two in a row? How does that work, I thought we only had a visit once every month" Ron exclaimed but enthusiastically joined in with Harry's excitement.

Harry shrugged his shoulders at Ron's question.

"Well technically" Hermione began; the boys looked at each other and in good humour rolled their eyes. They had both been expecting a logical answer from their brightest friend. Hermione ignored them both and continued.

"Technically, it is still once a month. The last Hogsmeade visit was the weekend, which is the end of October and this weekend coming up will be the beginning of November. It's been done on purpose so that it's still abiding by the rules but gives an extra weekend where the older students are likely to leave the castle, meaning the teachers have a quiet afternoon. The question is why do they want another, nearly, empty castle this weekend?" She commented.

Oh well, Hermione wasn't complaining, she had plans of her own that she needed to implement and she needed to do it soon. Hermione was actually thankful for the second Hogsmeade trip; it would be useful and away from the school. She needed a quiet place, one that no one would think about going to, she knew that what she was trying to organise would be dangerous for all who were involved and trying to get it sorted out at school would be practically inviting trouble in. No, she knew the perfect place to achieve what she was trying to do and knew that she would need a Hogsmeade weekend where vanishing students would not be noticed or suspicious. In other words, they would not be followed and reported back to all things pink.

Hermione spent the rest of the day trying to put her plans into action. She sent out messages and was reading up on certain types of spells that would be useful for secret communication. If this was going to work, it had to be done properly otherwise everything would fall apart, there would be no room for mistakes on this.

Hermione went to bed that night exhausted and with Severus' story in her mind. She had thought about going back to check on him but she didn't want to intrude on his privacy any more than she already had today. She thought it would be best to give Severus his space and let him seek her out when he was ready.

She hadn't expected to be sought out quite so quickly though.

The following day at breakfast, Hermione received a letter from Severus, asking her to come to his office before her first class. Knowing that Severus was watching her from the head table, she gave a nod and moved to walk towards the dungeons, telling the boys that she had to return some library books.

Once in Severus' office, she noticed that Draco was also there and both students were invited to sit down at Severus' desk.

They looked towards Severus and waited for him to tell them why they were all there.

"No doubt, you have both realised that I was a little 'out of sorts' yesterday and I revealed some information to you that could be severe if it fell into the wrong hands. I was wrong to tell you this information, my judgement was off yesterday as I had been drinking, I wasn't feeling my best and as you now know, yesterday was a significant day to me. I must stress the importance that this information is not to be uttered to anyone, ever. I trust the both of you that you can keep this information to yourselves, I do not wish to obliviate either of you. However, I feel it prudent to teach the both of you the art of legilimency. The headmaster feels this unnecessary but I think different. Draco, you will come to me on Saturday for your lesson and Hermione, you will come Sunday. I will send you both owls with a time and location. Is that agreeable with you both?" Severus asked them.

Both the teens nodded and they were dismissed for classes.

Hermione paused on her way out.

"Are you sure you're alright Severus?" She asked, still worried about him.

Severus nodded but she could tell that he was lying. She walked back over to him and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"You will be alright Severus. Please talk to me if you need to. You've been here for me, all this time, now let me be here for you" she whispered gently to him.

He looked at her and gave her a small smile.

"I will want to see you again soon, perhaps we can arrange for tea and a good catch-up. At the risk of sounding like a sappy, clingy teenager...I miss you and your intelligent conversation. We shall meet soon" he told her whilst giving her hand a squeeze and kissed her cheek gently.

Hermione headed towards the door where Draco was, making kissing faces at them to mock them, whilst he had been waiting for Hermione so that they could leave. Then Hermione remembered something and turned back towards Severus.

"Also, professor McGonagall is after your blood. So I suggest you watch out if you like your balls being attached to your body or else she will probably be wearing them for earrings soon" Hermione giggled as she warned him.

Severus grimaced and Hermione chuckled even more, she knew he was secretly terrified of the older witch. McGonagall was even more terrifying when her ire was directed at you in particular.

"Great, I look forward to her visit" Severus said sarcastically, already feeling another headache approaching.

The teens left the office and exchanged a few words before separating to hurry off to their morning classes before they were both late.

The Hogsmeade weekend approached faster than Hermione thought imaginable. She had only just about managed to put her plans into action in time and before she knew it, she found herself walking towards the village with her two friends.

"Will you tell us what's going on Hermione?" Ron asked for the millionth time, he was beginning to get impatient with his friends secretiveness.

"Shhhhhh" she gestured to them.

"Quiet, the both of you, just follow me" she said to them, begging them to be patient.

The boys huffed but followed her anyway out of curiosity, typical Gryffindor's.

The boys were even more confused when they realised that Hermione was leading them to the Hogs Head pub. As they headed towards the stairs that would take them up to the first floor, the boys could hear murmurs from beyond one of the doors.

Hermione walked into the room and the boys soon found many of their friends from their house, and other houses, sat waiting for them. The boys sat and waited for Hermione to explain what was going on.

"We are not learning how to defend ourselves; we need to be able to defend ourselves. I have joined us all together to discuss this with you. We need a proper teacher, someone who will adequately be able to teach us defence. I can think of no one better, who has had their own dealings with dark wizards, than our very own Harry" she said.

Harry froze.

"Harry, will you teach us?" She asked him directly.

Harry looked out towards the hopeful looking faces that were staring pleadingly at him. He was in a world of his own; he could see mouths moving but couldn't hear what was being said.

They wanted him to teach them? What use was he? But he couldn't complain, they needed all the help they could possibly get. Maybe with all of them working together, that will help and they can all assist each other. So, Harry nodded his agreement and Hermione took a register of everyone who wanted to join up.

Afterwards, Hermione told everyone to keep an eye out for a place where they could practice. It would have to be hidden, out of sight, somewhere private. The meeting was then dismissed, if they were all gone too long, it would be noticed and it would be suspicious.

The three friends remained and looked at the list of names that they had got. All of them sat there thinking that this group could work out.

Sunday morning, Hermione found herself stood outside Severus' office as she waited for him to answer her knock, she couldn't help but think of the lesson ahead.

"Enter" he told her, she came in and stood in the middle of the room, waiting for further instructions.

"I'm going to teach you how to defend your thoughts, stop people from entering your mind. But I warn you, this can be painful and it will take time to get it right so you must be patient. I will be as gentle as I can, for these first few lessons, but I can assure you that these lessons will give you headaches. Are you ready?" He asked her.

She nodded, slightly scared but also anxious to learn something different.

"If you need me to stop, just tell me" he said seriously to her.

He held up his wand towards her.

"Legilimens" he said.

Hermione could feel a slight pressure in her mind, it was like having two brains competing for space and she could already feel the dull ache. She grimaced; this was going to be brutal.

Hermione could see her mind was like an open book, every memory she was seeing she knew that Severus was also seeing. She tried to hide all the embarrassing ones but he still picked up on them. He saw her being bullied as a child by her peers and how her parents had initially blown up at her when they found out she was a witch.

Hermione realised that he was seeing all of her lonely memories; all the things that had ever made her feel unworthy of life.

She could see the image of Sirius Black in her mind as another memory formed; she knew what that memory was going to be.

"NO!" She yelled, forcing Severus out of her mind.

Her rejection was so brutal that it was extremely painful for her head. She heard a dull thud and looked over to see her Severus sprawled on the floor.

"What happened?" She gasped.

"You rejected me from your mind, this is a good thing and is the ultimate goal however, if you were to ever do that to a death eater or the Dark Lord himself, you will probably find yourself with a fight on your hands because it is obvious you are hiding something and trying to stop them from seeing something. If they think that it might be important, they will not relent. Merlin forbid that you ever find yourself in this situation" he explained to her.

She nodded, fully feeling the throbbing in her head. Severus noticed this.

"We have been at this for about an hour, perhaps a break and a pain potion is in order?" He asked her.

Hermione gasped.

"That was an hour?" She asked shocked. It had only felt like mere minutes.

She looked at the clock and realised it had been an hour and a half since she had entered the room, Severus was right. Hermione was still struggling to comprehend.

"This sort of training can often make you feel timeless but, you have nothing to worry about, you are doing extremely well. Draco was biting at the opportunity at this point and he was practically begging to leave" Severus told her.

"Really?" She asked. Severus nodded remembering that Draco's cries and begs to leave were more out of sheer embarrassment than they were of pain. Severus invited her to sit down and take a pain potion and have some sandwiches and something to drink.

For the rest of the lesson, Severus proceeded with caution, he didn't want her damaged. But he soon realised that Hermione had a natural talent for this art, she just had to practice.

After the lesson was over, it was early afternoon and Hermione was dismissed. She gave Severus a quick kiss, to which he responded to, and headed towards the door.

As she was about to open the office door, there was a hesitant knock from the other side.

She opened the door and came face to face with Neville, she stared at him wondering what on earth he was doing here and then she looked at Severus as if he would indicate what was going on. He just stared at her.

"As you were Miss Granger" Severus told her.

Hermione nodded, recognising the tone of his voice as she left the room. The door shut gently behind her as Neville entered and she could feel a silencing charm being cast. She huffed at the obvious 'bugger off' message that Severus was sending to her and she headed back towards the common room.

Inside Severus' office, a terrified Neville looked at his potions Professor, wondering why he had been summoned on a Sunday to Snape's office.

"Mr Longbottom, take a seat" Severus said with his monotone voice.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Once again thank you all for reading this story! I had a couple of questions from the reviews last week. One was about how often I update. I update every six days as I like to give everyone a chance to feedback on the chapters, some comments sometimes give me ideas of where to go next with the story, so I like to allow a bit of time to allow any changes to the next chapter. So the dates that I will be posting over Christmas are December - 13th, 19th, 25th and 31st, so you will get a new chapter both on Christmas Day and New Years Eve. I already have about 36 chapters written and I will continue to post one every six days! Many thanks!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warning – Sexual situation, bad language and violence**

 **Apologies, Hagrid and Trouble**

Neville was sat eating breakfast, members of the Gryffindor house had been keeping an eye on him and had been making sure that he was alright.

Suddenly, a Raven came and perched in front of him and passed him a note. Taking it, the bird flew off and Neville looked down at the familiar writing that was professor Snape's.  
Neville gulped, hands shaking as he opened the letter and began to read it.

 _Mr Longbottom,_

 _I want to see you in my office this afternoon at precisely 3pm._

 _DO NOT be late!_

Professor Snape

Neville had gone pale again, why did Snape want to see him? Did he want to scare him more? Give him detention?

Neville was unsure and spent the rest of the day contemplating not turning up at all but quickly realised that if he didn't, he would most likely make the situation worse.

After deciding that he would go to see the professor, Neville sat and attempted to keep himself calm as a way of preparing himself for the meeting. He sat thinking about the events of the last few days, well what he could remember of them at least.

Neville had spent the last couple of days looking over his shoulder, Snape had always terrified him, and Snape was his boggart for goodness sake of course the man scared the shit out of him.

Neville had been shouted at many times by the professor over an exploded cauldron or a failed attempt at a potion but never had professor Snape gone that far before.

Neville closed his eyes and shivered at the memory. He had sprinted from the classroom as fast as he could and had just about made it to the boy's bathroom before he threw up. Neville had been scared so bad that it caused him to lose the contents of his stomach; he had been so scared that he had begun to hyperventilate in the boy's bathroom. He was trying to catch his breath but couldn't, he was having a panic attack and couldn't stop it.

Neville couldn't have been sure how long he had sat there like that, trying to gain control again before Dean Thomas had found him, pale, shaking, crying and barely conscious. Neville wasn't sure what had really happened after that but he knew he spent the next few days in the hospital wing, screaming out at random moments for reasons unknown.

Neville was thankful for the help of Madame Pompfrey and professor McGonagall for their help. Between the two of them they managed to snap him back to reality and he was able to function normally again.

When the time came, Neville stood up and calmly walked towards the dungeons. He knew that if he kept calm, he would probably be alright.

Once at the professor's door, he knocked lightly and waited for permission to enter. The door open and out came Hermione, which had been unexpected.

She looked just as surprised to see him as he did her. Neville felt guilty, he hadn't really seen much of Hermione recently and they hadn't really spoken much either. Neville always tried to make time for Hermione because she was the only one that spoke to him in first year; he was the only one that spoke to her in first year. Two lonely outcasts found comfort and friendship in each other. They'd been close friends ever since.

After Hermione was firmly told to leave by Snape, he was invited in to the office and was told to take a seat.

Neville sat down hesitantly, he was nervous. He just knew that he was going to be given detention and he braced himself for it.

"Mr Longbottom, I have summoned you here today because I owe you an apology for my behaviour towards you in class the other day" Severus said genuinely.

Neville, who was shaking, looked up at the potions professor in shock. He hadn't expected an apology, he didn't really know why he was receiving one, and he had been reckless with his potion. Neville gathered the courage to respond to his professor.

"It's alright professor, I was foolish and careless with my potion, and you are well within your right to shout at me, there are other people's lives involved. I deserved it" Neville said quietly.

"Mr Longbottom, you are terrible at potions and you make mistakes and I tell you off. That is how the process has worked for the last five years. However, I was informed, by your head of house, about the condition in which my behaviour left you and I wanted to apologise for it. I was having a bad day and I took that out on you, I shouldn't have, it was unprofessional of me to do so" Severus told the boy.

"Thank you sir. There is no need though. I think I'm just terrified of screwing up a potion that in the end, I mess it up anyway. It should be me apologising sir, if I can make it up to you I will" Neville said, looking down at the desk, refusing to make eye contact.

"As a matter of fact, there is something you can do" Severus told him. Neville waited patiently, and slightly panicked, for further information.

After telling the boy about what Severus had thought of, Neville sat for a few moments, deep in thought before agreeing to Severus' requests.

Whilst the boy was in deep thought, Severus thought back to the events that had occurred on All Hallows' Eve and the days that had followed.

Severus Snape had opened his eyes in the early hours of the first day of November and groaned. He could feel the hangover already; he sat up in bed and tried to piece together the events of the day before. He knew he could be volatile on Halloween, he always started drinking as soon as he woke up (as he had done on Halloween for the past fourteen years) and the rest was a little hazy.

The room had spun and Severus lay still for a moment, begging his body to keep the contents of his stomach as he tried to focus on the events of the day.

He remembered going through his classes and managed to make it to the last class of the day, his fifth years. He remembered sitting at his desk and completely zoning out. Then there was an explosion.

Longbottom!

Longbottom had messed up a potion and it had exploded. Severus rubbed his head and sighed.

'What happened after that?' Severus thought to himself.

Severus then got up and went into the bathroom to have a shower, he needed to wash the smell of alcohol and sweat away as they were making him feel even worse.

As he stood under the warm running water he let himself fully relaxed and allowed his mind to wander and eventually, he finally pieced together the rest of the day.

He remembered yelling at the boy for messing up and had scared his class away. Except for Draco and the 'golden trio', then words had been exchanged and the two Gryffindor boys had left the room and Draco and Hermione had brought him to his room and had put him to bed.

Severus snapped out of his memory and finished his shower and got out, he dressed himself and towel dried his hair.

He hadn't done anything to embarrass himself then, good. The only embarrassment was having his godson and his Hermione have to put him to bed. Like a child.

Severus had then frozen, he remembered that in his drunken stupor he had divulged his early life to Draco and Hermione, he had told them everything. Severus had let out a gasp and had started pacing.

He had told them valuable information; he had put the both of them in serious danger. He knew that he would have to teach them legilimency in order to keep his favourite people safe.

Severus had then sat and thought about what he had told the two teens. He realised that he hadn't actually thought about Lily for a while and couldn't help but feel slightly guilty at that. He didn't really know why though.

Yes, he had said something awful in a moment of anger and embarrassment, but he hadn't meant to and he spent the rest of their school career apologising and trying to make it up to her. After he had insulted Lily, the bullying from her four friends got worse. No, the bullying from three out of four of her friends had got worse. Severus, although he would never admit it, had a soft spot for Lupin.

It was obvious that Lupin was the 'outcast' of the group as the expression goes. Lupin, in a way was just like Severus. Lupin had been kept away from most people for his childhood in fear that he would lose control and hurt someone therefore his parents kept him hidden away from the rest of the world so Lupin had never had any friends when he was young.

Lupin had come to Hogwarts when the time was right and had taken friends wherever he could get them because he was exhausted of being lonely. Severus could relate to that on some level but in the end, Lupin was a werewolf and knew that many people would not accept him if his secret was discovered.

Severus sighed, he hadn't thought of Lily for months and he had a feeling it had something to do with the beautiful witch that he had the pleasure of befriending this summer, under the most brutal of circumstances but a friend nonetheless.

Maybe it was time for him to let Lily go? Maybe it was time to move on, he couldn't be in love with a deceased woman for the rest of his life could he, especially a woman who hated him in the end.

The following morning Severus had found Draco and had told him to go to the potions office. He had then gone to the great hall to deliver Hermione the same message and he'd held a meeting with them and told them about having lessons and he'd dismissed them.

The rest of the week had been fine until Friday evening when a knock on his door proved to be a headache.

He had opened his office door and was immediately shoved back as an angry Scottish witch had forced her way into his office.

"Severus Snape! What the devil do you think you were playing at?" She yelled at the potions professor.

Severus had known this was coming, his Hermione had warned him about it. She had said that Minerva was after his blood and he was terrified.

"Do you know the last couple of days that I have had? I have had an unresponsive Neville Longbottom in the bloody hospital wing! Poppy had to send for mental healers from St Mungo's in order to assess the boy's mental health!" Minerva exclaimed, hoping to convey the seriousness of what had happened.

"I have had reports from your whole fifth year class about what happened. What was wrong with you Severus? Miss Granger explained that you were not well but that is not an excuse, you are a grown man and will do better to control your temper" she snapped at him.

Severus couldn't believe that he had upset the Longbottom boy that much. Had he really?

"Minerva, is the boy alright?" Severus asked, genuinely scared that he had caused the boy some severe damage.

"He's had to have several high dosages of calming draughts and he's had to have the strongest dosage of dreamless sleep. The boy has thrown up several times out of sheer fright and he's very nervous, he jumps whenever anyone talks with a loud voice. It's very serious Severus" Minerva informed him.

Severus looked down, he was strict, he was detached but he had never considered himself to be an unnecessarily cruel person. To make someone so scared of you that you cause them to have no control over their body functions was an awful thing.

The Dark Lord would cause that to happen to his prisoners or people who had displeased him. Sirius Black had caused that to happen to his Hermione. Now, he had caused that to happen to his student. Did this mean that he was just like them?

He had shuddered at the thought.

Snapping back to the present, he realised that the Longbottom boy was staring at him. Severus had clearly spaced out again and so dismissed the boy.

Severus then thought back to his two new legilimency students. Both Draco and Hermione had done well for their first attempts. However, Hermione was clearly more determined as she pushed through the pain and carried on but Draco had moaned about it until Severus had grown irate and had dismissed him. However, Severus believed that Draco's desire to leave was caused out of embarrassment, rather than pain.

Severus had gone inside Draco's mind and had seen the night where Lucius had been ordered to torture Draco and Severus had seen it from the boy's point of view.

Draco believed that his father had completely turned on him, that his father hated him, that his father wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. He watched the memories of the days that followed and how Draco had cried at the loss of a father and the sorrow that a stranger had taken his father's place.

What Draco didn't know was that Lucius was just like Severus, worked as a spy for Severus but, for obvious reasons, was not a member of the Order. At the end of the day, Lucius just wanted the war won and his family safe but had to be careful because, unlike Severus, Lucius had a lot to lose.

Then Draco's memories had shifted to the summer where he had met another teenage boy at the resort he was staying at and then the memories showed Draco exploring his newfound sexuality.

Severus had wanted to withdraw and turn away but at the same time he knew that for the best results in legilimency, he had to try and draw out private and potentially embarrassing topics and memories in order for the student to be determined to stop him from seeing it. Hermione had just about succeeded in this area, however Draco had not.

Severus forced himself to watch the memory as his godson started kissing the other boy and they then started stripping each other of clothing.

Severus had felt a slight resistance at that point as Draco had tried to push him out of the memory but he wasn't strong enough.

Severus then grimaced as he watched the unknown boy kneel down in front of his nude godson and suck him off. Severus realised that the memory was of Draco's first blowjob and eventually stopped the memory and pulled of his godsons mind.

Both men had felt awkward, Draco was bright red and had practically fled the room when Severus dismissed him. Severus noticed that he was a little flushed himself from the memory, he was fine with Draco being gay and accepted it but that did not mean that he relished in watching his godson be intimate with a lover. He always cringed when he came across hormonal students who were out after curfew and undressing each other against the walls of their school. Severus shivered; it was also just like when he had walked in on Narcissa and Lucius going at it on the table in Lucius' study.

Severus sat in his empty office with a small glass of whiskey and tried to drink away the memories.

Meanwhile, Hermione had been making her way up to Gryffindor tower when she found Harry and Ron.

"Hermione! Where have you been? We've looked everywhere for you!" Ron exclaimed excitedly.

"Why? What's going on?" Hermione replied, panicking slightly at the boys' sudden excitement.

"Hagrid is back! We're going to see him. Come on!" Harry said nearly running towards the courtyard.

Hermione and Ron hurried after him and soon as the three made it outside and into the grounds, they broke into a sprint as they rushed down the hill towards Hagrid's hut.

As they approached the door of the hut, they all froze as they heard the familiar, shrill voice of all things pink.

"And just where do you think you have been Mr Hagrid?" Umbridge asked.

"I wasn't well, I've been away for health reasons" Hagrid replied.

The three eavesdropping teens looked at each other. There was no way that Hagrid had been away for his health. Had he? The three remained suspicious.

"Well, welcome back. I wouldn't bother unpacking though" Umbridge smiled tightly and let herself out.

The three teens waited until Umbridge was in the distance before coming out from their hiding spots behind the pumpkins. They knocked on the door.

Hagrid opened the door cautiously and immediately relaxed upon seeing his three friends.

He quickly let them in and invited them to sit down.

"How have you been Hagrid?" Hermione asked.

"I've been alright" he replied.

The three looked at the man who was currently sporting a massive black eye and they all just stared at him with their eyebrows raised in question.

Hagrid took in their expressions and knew that they would get the information he was hiding. He could stand up to his enemies but never his closest friends.

"Alright, alright!" He exclaimed when the three refused to stop their intense staring.

"Dumbledore sent me to try and gather followers, beasts and other creatures. I've been away trying to get support of the Giants but I wasn't the only one" Hagrid revealed.

"Voldemort?" Harry asked.

Hagrid nodded and exhaled.

"I think I got through to them but you never quite know with the beasts" Hagrid said.

The three understood that he was done talking about Order business and so they sat there and talked about what he had missed whilst they drank their tea and nibbled on biscuits.

It soon began to get dark and Hagrid suggested that the three should be on their way back to the castle before they got caught out after hours.

The three agreed and bid Hagrid goodbye and began to sneak back into the castle. They made it through the doors and began to walk the empty corridors back towards their common room.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Three naughty Gryffindor's outside after dark. We can't have that"

The three froze and turned around to come face to face with the pink toad, who was looking at them with a vicious smile.

Shit! They were well and truly fucked.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Noooooo! I didn't realise I was only on this Chapter! I thought we were on chapter 28 which is personally my favourite chapter. Oh well...it means that my longest and favourite chapter will be posted on Christmas Day which is quite exciting. I am going away for Christmas and I'm hoping I will be able to post, the place I am staying at did say they have Internet connection so hopefully I will be able to post. If not, I will be back home on December 27th so worst case scenario is that chapter 28 will be posted a couple of days later than normal. However, chapter 28 is worth the wait, I am super excited for the next chapter! But for now, please enjoy this chapter! Once again thank you for all your support! Many thanks!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Bad language, mentions and potential references to rape**

 **Umbridge, Severus and Future Revelations**

The three friends gulped as Umbridge approached them.

"The three of you will follow me to my office and I will speak to each of you individually" she stated and started walking in the direction of her office.

The trio looked at one another and hesitantly walked after her. They neared her office and felt a sense of foreboding and they slowed down as if looking for an escape route.

"Well, what do we have here? The golden trio, in trouble, well what a surprise this is!" came the sarcastic voice of Professor Snape.

"Ah Severus, I caught this sorry lot trying to sneak into the castle after hours. I'm going to speak to each of them in turn" she smirked at them.

"May I have a moment to ridicule them Madame?" Snape inquired with a malicious grin on his face.

Even Umbridge was startled by his vicious expression for a moment before she chuckled and agreed to indulge in the potions professors wishes. She was aware of his terrifying reputation and thought a moment to scare the three teens would make them more cooperative when she spoke to them. She wanted to watch him dish out the justice but, to be honest, the man unnerved her so; she decided to retreat to the safety of her room.

"I will be waiting in my office. Mr Potter, you shall be first" she giggled and headed into her office to wait for Severus to say his piece.

She left the three in the corridor with Severus. Harry and Ron were glaring at Severus, daring him to do his worst but Hermione looked at him confused.

'What was he doing?' She thought to herself.

The potions professor leaned in so that he was as close as he could be without the risk of being overheard.

"Do not drink the tea and do not accept anything she offers you. She spikes everything she gives the students" Severus told them quickly.

He then took a step back, looked at Hermione who smiled at him, nodded his head and turned back towards the dungeons, praying that the two boys took his advice, he had no doubts that Hermione would.

Harry and Ron wore equal expressions of shock.

'Had Snape just been helpful?' They thought to themselves.

There was a small clearing of the throat from behind the classroom door.

"Ahem, in you come, Mr Potter. Would you like a nice cup of tea?" Hermione and Ron heard the hag asking Harry as he entered her office.

Then there was silence, all that was left to do now was to wait.

In Umbridge's office, Harry was poured a cup of tea and was being asked a lot of questions, which he was easily sidestepping because he knew that the pink toad had no evidence to punish him and she didn't quite have the power to do anything else.

"So, why were you roaming the halls after hours?" She asked him. It irked her that Harry hadn't yet taken a sip of tea but to tell him to would make him suspicious and she didn't want that.

"I apologise Professor, my friends and I just lost track of time and we were on our way back to the common room when you caught us. We accept that we were out after hours and we will accept the punishment that comes along with that. But, honestly Madame, we were just socialising" Harry said civilly, he was making sure to keep his temper in check; she could do nothing if he gave her nothing.

"Is it just the three of you or are there more? What were you talking about?" She asked again. She was running out of questions because Harry still hadn't drunk the spiked tea.

"It was just the three of us, as it has been for nearly the last five years. As for what we were talking about, we were discussing what we were going to get for a birthday gift for one of the Weasley children, they have a birthday in a couple of weeks you see" Harry answered. He was half lying, they hadn't been discussing a birthday but if she was to check if he was lying, Harry knew it was Bill Weasley's birthday at the end of November because Ron had told him about it.

Umbridge was extremely unsatisfied; she couldn't do anything now but issue detention. If only Potter had drunk the tea!

"Very well Mr Potter, you will come for detention with me next Saturday, you'll be in for a tough day. Good night Potter" she said nastily.

Harry stood up and nodded at her politely and left the office. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly moved to tell the others what he had to tell the toad. However, he heard footsteps rapidly approaching from behind him and knew that he wouldn't be able to tell them anything as the old hag would be watching them. He gulped, he knew they were screwed, and there was no way that either of his two friends would think of exactly the same story.

As he walked out of the defence classroom with Umbridge, his two friends looked up at him and relief immediately graced their features.

"Now back to your common room Potter, no dawdling" Umbridge said firmly.

Harry nodded and turned to his friends.

"I will see you guys-" he began.

"Tut tut, no talking to your friends to get your stories straight Potter" Umbridge hissed at him.

"Oh, Mr Filch!" She exclaimed as the old caretaker turned the corner at the bottom of the corridor and began to walk towards them.

"Madame?" He asked her when he approached the group.

"Escort Mr Potter back to Gryffindor Tower and make sure he takes no detours" she warned him.

Filch bowed and immediately grabbed Potter by the back of the shirt and marched him down the hall.

Umbridge turned back to Hermione and Ron.

"Miss Granger, you are next dear" she said in a nice voice that was clearly fake.

Hermione gulped, she knew she could get through this.

Hermione sat in the pink office surrounded by china plates with pictures of cats on them.

Hermione saw the teacup on the desk, it was still full and it meant that Harry wouldn't have said anything.

Umbridge vanished to cup and replaced it with another.

"Please have some tea Miss Granger, I understand you have been ill recently and the air tonight is rather chilly. I apologise for keeping you waiting" Umbridge said politely whilst offering the cup of tea to Hermione.

"That's kind of you professor but I'm afraid I will have to pass on the tea" Hermione told her politely.

"Oh nonsense Miss Granger, I must insist" Umbridge said, forcefully placing the tea on the table.

"Oh sorry Madame, I should have explained. I feel just awful that the tea will go to waste. I can't drink tea, I am unfortunately allergic to one of the compounds in the tea leaf and it makes me dreadfully ill and I can't afford to miss anymore classes. Not with exams approaching" Hermione said, pretending to be really apologetic.

Umbridge sniffed at Hermione's explanation. She wasn't willing to force the girl to drink tea that would make the girl ill as it could compromise her position at the school.

'Stupid children' she thought to herself. Umbridge was angry that these teenagers were beating her, even if the said teens were unaware of it (well, that's what she thought anyway).

"That's alright dear, never mind. I should've asked you first" she said in a sickly sweet voice.

'Fake' Hermione thought in her head.

"Anyway, Miss Granger, what were you doing wandering the grounds after hours?" Umbridge asked.

"I was just with Harry and Ron, we were sat out near the courtyard and were so immersed in our discussions that we didn't notice the time until it was too late. Then we began to make our way to the common room. Of course that isn't an excuse, but it's what happened. I will accept the punishment that I am given for this mix up" Hermione responded cordially.

"Alright Miss Granger, was it just the three of you? What were you so focused on discussing that made you lose track of time?" Umbridge questioned.

"It was just Harry, Ron and myself, it normally is just us three, we've been friends for many years you see. Also, it's Ron's brothers birthday at the end of the month and we were talking about birthday plans" Hermione told her.

Umbridge looked at her suspiciously and reluctantly dismissed the girl. She knew they were hiding something but wasn't capable of getting it out of them whilst Dumbledore was still around.

As they came out and approached Ron, Umbridge saw Severus walking the hallway, clearly in the middle of rounds. Umbridge called the professor over and then she turned to Hermione.

"Miss Granger, it was made clear to me that Professor Snape knows exactly how to punish you appropriately so I will leave you to his capable hands" Umbridge informed Hermione.

Hermione tried not to jump for joy. Yes, she couldn't wait for Severus to...punish...her.

"Professor Snape, you will supervise Miss Granger next Saturday for detention and I will let you decide how to conduct it as you know what to do with her" she told Severus.

"Of course Madame, I already have a few unpleasant things in mind" Severus hissed.

Umbridge smirked.

"Good. Now, will you please escort Miss Granger back to her common room? I still have to speak with Me Weasley" she said to him.

"Perhaps Madame, we should wait for you to finish with Mr Weasley then, I can walk both students back and that way we don't run the risk of having Weasley wandering the halls alone. To do so, judging by years of experience, is a dangerous thing to do" Severus suggested.

"Quite Severus, we shall be back shortly" Umbridge informed them as she took off with a pale looking Ron following behind her.

Ron walked into Umbridge's office and sat down and waited patiently for her to begin what was going to be an obvious interrogation.

"So Mr Weasley, why were you out after hours tonight with your little friends?" She asked him innocently whilst offering him a slice of cake.

Ron gulped, cake was his favourite and he was really hungry. He was tempted, so tempted by the cake and he almost started drooling at the rich, chocolate mess.

Ron was in two minds, he had to decide who he was going to trust more, Umbridge or Snape? Neither were appealing but as Ron quickly thought it over, he realised that both of his friends had come out alive and unscathed tonight by trusting Snape. So Ron made one of the toughest decisions of his life, he decided to trust Snape.

"Professor Umbridge, we were just talking about my brother's birthday that's in a couple of weeks and what we were going to send him as a gift. We were so deep in our chat that we completely didn't realise that it was that late" Ron explained.

Umbridge was at the end of her tether, she was angry, she was tired and she knew that she was getting absolutely nowhere.

"Was this a cover story concocted by the three of you to conceal the truth?" She demanded.

"No Madame, we realised when you found us that we were going to get into trouble for being out after hours, so why lie? We are already being dealt punishment anyway" Ron said politely.

Internally, Ron was panicking, Hermione and Harry hadn't been asked any of this and he was absolutely terrified that he would say something that would get Hagrid fired and his friends in more trouble.

Umbridge sighed, this really was a dead end.

"You haven't touched your cake Mr Weasley" Umbridge commented knowing that if she could get anyone to talk it would be this boy.

"Forgive me Madame, but you look awfully tired and like you could need the sugar more than myself. After all such a sweet woman should have the first helping of such a sweet treat" Ron smiled at her, trying to turn on the charm and hopefully get out of this situation by appealing to her ego.

Surprisingly, it worked. Umbridge's cheeks flushed red at what she thought was flattery on behalf of the young boy and all thoughts flew from her head. Maybe she could manipulate this one in time.

"That's very thoughtful of you Mr Weasley, such a gentleman. That will be all for tonight Mr Weasley, you will have detention but I shall see you out" Umbridge said in a smaller voice, still floored by the young man's comments.

Meanwhile out in the hallway Severus and Hermione were left on their own to wait for Ron.

"Thank you" Hermione whispered after it was clear to speak freely.

"You have nothing to thank me for, remember?" He said.

"We will discuss what you were doing out after hours on Saturday, we have the whole day together after all" he grinned.

"Oh! The horror! What will you possibly do to me?" She said in a dramatic voice.

"I can think of a few things" Severus answered her whilst whispering sensuously in her ear.

Hermione shivered.

'Gods this man is relentless!' She exclaimed in her head.

"Oh!" She said suddenly, remembering how the trio had escaped being caught out with Umbridge's questions.

"Thanks for putting the amplifying charm on her office" she winked at him.

Severus grinned.

"Anything to save your arse" he chuckled.

Hermione smirked at him.

The two listened in on the conversation between Ron and Umbridge and Hermione found herself sniggering at Ron in his attempts at false flattery.

"If that is how he tries to chat up a woman then Merlin help the boy" Severus remarked.

Hermione and Severus stood in another moment of silence as Severus cancels the amplifying charm; they knew that Ron was on his way back to them.

"The three of you should be careful, you have all proved that you will cross into Slytherin territory when it comes to getting what you want" Severus told her.

Hermione just grinned.

"Well it makes sense, Harry was going to be originally placed in Slytherin after all" Hermione told him.

"Don't remind me" Severus growled.

The door to the classroom flew open and Umbridge stepped out with Ron.

Umbridge looked angry, like a child about to stomp a foot and throw a temper tantrum because she wasn't about to get what she wanted.

Ron, who was stood in front of Umbridge, had the biggest smug face that Hermione had ever seen.

Umbridge gave one last loud exhalation, like a pissed off bull and slammed the door of her classroom behind her, leaving Severus, Hermione and Ron standing in the corridor.

"To your common room" Severus said, back in his teacher mode.

The three of them navigated the long corridors and many staircases of Hogwarts before finally coming to a stop outside the Gryffindor common room.

Ron went to enter, having absolutely no desire to spend more time with the potions professor than absolutely necessary. However, he paused and looked back when he remembered Hermione was also there.

"Carry on Mr Weasley, I wish to speak with Miss Granger for a moment" Severus told the boy.

Ron looked at the professor with distrust and remained where he was with a sceptical expression on his face.

"Now Weasley, if I was going to murder her then it would be done. Now to your dormitory before I take house points and add further punishment" Severus barked at Ron, growing impatient of the boy.

Ron glanced at Hermione, who nodded at him, before he muttered the password to the portrait and headed inside.

"What's the matter sir?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"How much does Mr Weasley know of your summer events?" He asked her.

Hermione was shocked that she was bringing this up again. She had told him that she wanted to move on, that she didn't want to let this control the rest of her life. She looked at him confused.

"Why? He doesn't know a thing, as he often says things without thinking. What's going on Severus?" She asked him.

"You told me that you hadn't told him yet but thought you should before he heard it from somewhere else, correct?" He asked her.

Hermione chewed her lip and nodded.

"You should tell him before the Christmas holidays Hermione" Severus suggested.

Hermione was so confused, why was he being all professor on her and not just telling her straight what was going on.

"Tell me what's going on" Hermione said getting angry that she was being kept in the dark again.

"Did you wonder why there were two Hogsmeade weekends in a row?" He asked her.

Hermione nodes her head hesitantly as she remembered her conversation with the boys just a few days earlier.

"Let's just say there was a little gathering amongst a few teachers and Order members and there has been a little planning going on" Severus informed her.

Hermione was still frowning in confusion, she knew that was the purpose of the two weekends, for the teachers to discuss privately, but how did this involve Ron?

"What's this got to do with Ron?" Hermione voiced her thoughts.

"Miss Granger, everyone is fed up of Black's childish, womanising behaviour and by Christmas, most of the Order will be aware of it and they are planning to do something about it. However, this means that your summer experience may come into light, although that is not the intention but if the whole Order becomes aware of what transpired between Mr Black and yourself, there is no guarantee that something like that will be contained within the Order itself. This is why I am telling you that it may be best to inform Mr Weasley soon" Severus told her gently.

Hermione swallowed and nodded, she had forgotten all about the fact that Ron didn't know, she nodded in agreement and stated that she would tell Ron soon.

"Alright Severus, goodnight" she smiled at him as she headed inside the portrait.

"Goodnight" Severus replied.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Hope you all have an amazing day, I've been really excited about this chapter for ages and I hope you feel the same! This is my longest chapter so far and probably one of my favourites! Enjoy! And once again, thank you for all your comments and opinions!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings: Bad language, mentions and potential references to rape and violence.**

 **Remus, Severus and the Appearance of Sirius Black**

"What's wrong with you Remus? You seem to be really distracted as of late" Tonks asked Remus curiously as Remus sat in the library at Grimmauld Place with his nose in a book.

"Nothing Tonks, just stressed about all the war and werewolf business. But, nothing to worry about, eh?" Remus lied.

Tonks gave him a quizzical look, there was something going on here and she didn't like being kept out of the loop. She huffed in annoyance and sat, pouting grumpily, and waited silently whilst Remus continued to read his book.

"Remus, I'm bored" Tonks whined after about ten minutes of silence. The ticking of the wall clock was getting on her nerves.

Remus sighed and marked his place in his book, shut it and placed it down on the desk with a loud thud.

"What do you expect me to do about it?" Remus asked her, he was slightly annoyed that she was disturbing his perfectly good reading time.

"I thought we could find something fun to do?" She muttered and shrugged her shoulders.

Remus snapped.

"And how would Nymphadora like her performing monkey to entertain her today? Would you like me to dance for you, maybe I can sing? Or would you like me to read you fairy-tale stories in funny voices?" He said angrily.

Tonks just stood there stunned, her jaw dropped. She had never heard Remus speak like that before, she didn't realise Remus had the capability to speak like that. For a moment she felt as if she was a school girl being chastised for something she'd done wrong. She didn't know why but she felt an awful sinking feeling inside her and, for the first time in a long time, tears began to well in her eyes and she tried to fight them back.

"I'm sorry Remus" she said quietly.

Remus instantly felt awful, he had been going through everything that had gone on lately. He was thinking about the future, he was exerting a lot of effort trying not to confront Sirius and on top of that, the full moon was in four days and Remus was beginning to feel twitchy and it was making him highly irritable.

"Don't apologise Tonks, I'm sorry, my furry time is in a few days and it's making me feel uncomfortable. The wolf knows it's about to be free and it's not giving in. Like a recovering addict, wanting their substance so desperately. I didn't mean to take it out on you Tonks, I was just trying to relax myself and the wolf, I am so sorry Tonks" Remus said, ashamed of himself that he had treated a lady in such a way. What would his mother think of him?

Tonks stood in front of him; she put her hand on his shoulder, hoping to comfort him in some way. She would never understand the feeling of being a werewolf and how it played havoc with the human form. She felt sympathetic for Remus.

At her touch, Remus relaxed and found that he and the wolf calmed when she was in close presence. In fact, the wolf was practically humming with appreciation, which had never happened before. What the hell was that about?

"Remus, are you alright?" Tonks asked him, but he barely heard her.

Remus was confused, his heart sped up and his breathing got heavier and he had begun to break out in a sweat. He looked down into the eyes of the young woman staring up at him with a worried expression. He licked his dry lips and tried to speak but the words were not coming out.

"Um, I-...well, what's...I don't know-" he was stammering.

Tonks was so close that she could smell his musky scent, it was addicting and she wanted more. She stood on her tiptoes so that she was closer to him.

Remus breathed deeply, he could smell her scent, and everything about her. With the full moon so close, all his senses were heightened and he could smell so many wonderful things coming from her, the wolf approved.

Neither of the two would ever know who started it but before they knew it, they were kissing.

The kiss was so delicate but filled with such passion that it was almost too good to be true. Remus had one hand placed gently on the back of her head and the other hand was placed on the small of her back so that he could bring her closer to him. Tonks had both hands placed on either side of Remus' head and she was weaving her hands through his soft hair.

Remus groaned in satisfaction when Tonks moved and pressed her small frame solidly up against his body. In response, Tonks seductively snaked her tongue over Remus' bottom lip and begged for permission to enter his mouth.

Permission granted, Remus opened his mouth and a battle for dominance began between the two tongues. Tonks won, Remus was a shy kisser after all and the two got lost in each other.

Remus could feel his dick standing firmly to attention, the trousers he wore left no chance of concealment and his hardened length was pressed solidly against Tonks' hip. He knew she could feel it and the thought thrilled him, being close to the full moon also meant that Remus was - like a teenage boy looking through a porno mag - horny.

Tonks could feel him pressed against her hip and she nearly gasped. The man was huge, how had she never noticed that before? She ground her hips against his erection causing him to practically howl in pleasure. It had been a long time since Remus had this sort of attention.

Tonks had unbuttoned Remus' shirt and had taken it off and thrown it across the room and her hands explored Remus' chest and torso and trouser covered cock. Remus' hands had moved. One hand had gone up her shirt and had begun playing with her breast; the other hand had roamed lower and was now making its way up the back of her thigh towards knicker covered womanhood. Both were rutting against the others hands and they were moaning loudly.

"Well isn't this just nauseating?" came a voice from the entrance to the library.

The pair snapped back to reality and looked at each other, Remus flushed red and Tonks let out a timid giggle. Both had swollen lips and mussed up hair, Remus had a tent pitched so big that Boy Scouts could camp there. The pheromones that Tonks was giving off were also not helping his heightened sense of smell, neither was her devilish smile. She looked the epitome of hellcat with rouge cheeks.

Both turned towards the entrance of the library and found Severus Snape staring at them with one eyebrow raised, arms crossed and a slightly green tinge to his features.

Remus quickly sat down and grabbed the book he was reading earlier and placed it casually across her lap. He looked at Tonks who was looking back at him as she licked her lips and gave Remus a cheeky wink. Remus let out a strained moan.

Severus had now stepped into the room and began approaching the pair although he vowed not to get to close. The air around them stank of sweat and hormones and it was making Severus feel slightly ill.

"Well, well, look at what we have here. Lupin, I came to drop off your wolfsbane but it seems that you like to let the wolf off its leash anyway. No offence Lupin, but that book isn't doing you any favours" Severus said nodding pointedly towards the book seemed to be hovering just above Remus' lap.

Remus grimaced, this was awkward, he had always been shy around females and had never really known how to be intimate with a female but this was the first time that he had ever felt like he'd lost a part of himself when he parted with Tonks. He sighed, could this be any more complicated? He refused to let her get close, he refused to hurt her.

Severus smirked at the wolf and turned his attention back to his former student. He was slightly stunned by her; it seemed that only five minutes ago she was sat in his class studying for her OWL's and now here she was, practically having sex in front of him.

"If you don't mind Lupin, I also wished to have a few words with you in private" Severus said looking at Tonks and basically glaring at her to get out.

"Of course Severus. Um, Tonks, do you think you could give us a moment? I promise that you can come back as soon as Severus is gone" he told her, still mesmerised by her.

"Ok" Tonks agreed.

"I will be back. I'm not finished with you yet big boy" she winked at him as she left the library giggling.

Remus flushed red once again as he put his head in his hand in embarrassment and prayed for Severus to, just once, be merciful.

But judging by the Slytherin grin that Severus was giving him, mercy would not be happening. Remus gulped, waiting for the mocking comments.

"Big boy? Is that because you're tall or for another reason?" Severus asked chuckling lightly at Remus' expense.

Remus just looked down whilst shaking his head, his face and ears were burning.

"What do you want Severus?" He asked.

Severus seemed to go back to his serious state as he remembered what he came here about.

"You sent me a letter Lupin, or did you forget? You asked me to meet you here the next time I was to bring you wolfsbane. Also, Minerva and Dumbledore are going to be confronting Black about his less than favourable behaviour. Minerva is pissed that after everything the Order has done to protect him, he still insists on his womanising and drinking habits in muggle pubs all over London. He was almost caught the other day by a ministry worker. He is a foolish, reckless, pathetic excuse of a man who believes he is a King and deserves everything handed to him. We are all going to 'lay down the law' as it were and tell him to buck up his ideas or he will be handed over to the ministry" Snape told him.

Remus took a deep breath; his old friend had gone off the deep end. Sirius was never wholly sane to begin with; spending all that time in Azkaban really fucked him over. Sirius had always liked his alcohol and his women but he was never stupid enough to put that above his friends and family or put himself in danger.

"I'm in, what do you need me to do?" Remus asked him.

Severus froze; he had only come here to inform Remus of the events that were going to unfold. He didn't come here to ask for Remus' help; Severus wasn't quite sure what to say in response.

"Er, well...you could think of some ways to play on that Gryffindor sentimentality that you all seem to have, see if you can make him see the error of his ways" Severus said.

"And what about Hermione?" Remus asked him.

"What about her?" Severus asked.

"Well, is the issue going to be addressed at the meeting?" Remus questioned Severus.

"I don't know, I don't think they're intending to but you know how short tempered Minerva is, it only takes one of us to say one wrong word and everyone will know. I've prepared the girl that this might happen so she can prepare for the aftershocks" Severus told him.

Remus nodded his head.

"Has she been getting on alright?" Remus asked.

Severus hesitated; he wasn't sure what Hermione would be happy with him telling Lupin. So Severus told Remus the things that were known by more than one person.

"Well, she, Potter and Weasley are all friends again, then they went to Hogsmeade and got drunk, got caught, got detention with me, then she got sick, then I got sick, then the Longbottom boy pissed me off and he needed medical supervision for a few days. Then, Hagrid came back and the three of them got caught out after hours by Umbridge so she questioned them but found nothing and that's all so far. Now we're here" Severus informed him in a casual tone.

Remus took a few moments to take in all the new information. He was surprised that so much could happen in the space of three weeks. He was happy to know about what was going on at the school but when he had asked about Hermione, he had meant about her mental state.

Remus looked back at Severus.

"That's a lot of stuff happening there Severus but when I asked, I meant to ask about Hermione's mental health, her recovery. How is she doing?" Remus asked.

"She's moving on, she refuses to let all of this control her life. She's prepared to lay down her life for Potter so she is aware that she could die in this war and I think she doesn't want to spend the rest of that time, no matter how short it may be, being broken over something she cannot change. She got her little friends to band together and form 'Dumbledore's Army' and they go off and practise advanced magic in the room of requirement" Severus chuckled at Remus' surprised look.

"Hermione? Granger? The girl who is a stickler for the rules? That girl has grouped together an army to fight back against the authorities of the wizarding world which is not only against school rules but illegal and a punishable offence?" Remus exclaimed both bewildered and scared for the students involved.

Severus nodded.

"The very same girl, she used her hatred, her pain and anger and has turned into something that makes her feel stronger and will help her in the future" Severus told him.

"And all the staff knows about it? Isn't that dangerous?" Remus asked him.

Severus quickly shook his head.

"No, I don't think the staff is aware at all. I only know because Hermione talks in her sleep. She sometimes reveals sensitive information which is partly the reason I have decided to teach her occlumency so that she can protect her thoughts no matter what" Severus said.

Severus looked at Remus and found that Remus was staring back at him curiously. Severus raised an eyebrow in question.

"Sleep?" Remus said out loud.

Severus was now confused and frowned at the wolf.

"What are you babbling on about Lupin? It's not even midnight yet, has that witchling of yours tired you out that much?" Severus mocked him, almost laughing at Lupin's new weakness.

Lupin cleared his throat.

"No Severus, you said that Hermione talks in her sleep. How would you know that?" Lupin asked him, eyes wide.

Severus' eyes also widened and he internally panicked, Severus hadn't realised he'd let his tongue slip and revealed information. Some fucking spy!

Severus broke out in a sweat as he realised that he was taking far too long to respond to the question and that threw him into near frenzy.

Remus fought back a chuckle, his heightened senses could feel that Severus' heartbeat and pulse had accelerated, he could also smell the fear and sweat radiating off Severus.

'Well, I never seen Severus look this nervous' Remus thought to himself.

Then other thoughts began to develop in Remus' mind. Did Severus see Hermione sleep often? How did that arrangement come to be? It can't have been through occlumency because Severus said he had only begun teaching her because he already knew that she spoke in her sleep. There was no way that Severus would be able to get into the Gryffindor common room without someone noticing. Was Hermione spending time in Severus' quarters? Harry had said that Severus had been helping her...maybe there was more to it than that.

Lupin watched Severus like a hawk, waiting for the response.

"Um...when she was in the hospital wing, I took her potions, she was mumbling whilst she was out" Severus said, lying through his teeth. Severus had known she talked in her sleep purely because of the times she had spent sleeping in his quarters.

"Thestral shit" Remus called his bluff.

Severus' eyes widened, how dare Lupin question him! He opened his mouth to retort but Lupin stopped him.

"Don't bother Severus, had it not been so close to the full moon you would've gotten away with it but I can smell your lies. Everyone has 'a tell' when they are lying, yours is sweaty palms and I can smell that" Lupin grinned at him.

Severus sighed.

"She sometimes comes and sleeps in my quarters when she just needs some space from her own dormitory and the other students" Severus muttered.

"But that's surely illegal" Remus exclaimed.

Severus nodded.

"The circumstances meant that Minerva gave me permission to let the girl stay should she want to. It's nothing less than innocent Lupin, she sometimes sleeps on my sofa whilst I have my bed or vice versa, she has the bed and I have the sofa but that only happened once and that's because she was ill and needed to rest in comfort to get better" Severus said quickly trying to suggest it was all innocent. Which it was if you minus the snogging and the dry humping. Severus fought to not get lost in the images.

"Again Severus, I would've believed you if your testosterone level hadn't just shot up" Lupin said, now feeling protective of Hermione and angry towards Severus for taking advantage of a minor.

"Have you slept with her? If you have Severus I might just kill you myself" Lupin growled.

"Alright Lupin, maybe a couple of times there was something more but it was nothing more than what you and Miss Tonks were doing when I came in here. I swear Lupin I haven't slept with the girl, I would never do that whilst I know that she is still in such a delicate state" Severus muttered quietly.

"You're not taking advantage?" Lupin questioned still defensive.

"Normally it's her that accosts me and has me pinned against a wall but then sometimes it is me and I feel awful about it" Severus sighed shaking his head.

"My God Severus! You fancy her don't you?" Remus gasped.

"Fancy her? How old are you Lupin, fifteen? Yes, I find her interesting and she is stunning not just in looks but in intelligence as well, I do enjoy her company" Severus replied hesitantly.

Remus just stared at the man stunned, Remus wasn't sure if Severus noticed but whenever Severus was talking or thinking about Hermione, he had a look of blissful peace on his face. It was an expression that Remus had never seen on the professor before even after knowing him for decades.

"I never went looking for her Lupin, I swear, she always came to me first" Severus informed him.

Remus just nodded, still stunned and promised that they'd revisit this at another time. Remus was beginning to pick up another scent and it smelled awfully like...

"Snivellus! You've come to play tea party with moony, how lovely! I do hope you two are playing nicely!" Sirius taunted from the library entrance.

Severus rolled his eyes.

"Goodnight Lupin" Severus said politely.

"Goodnight Severus and thank you" Remus replied in his usual uplifting voice.

Severus moved towards the entrance to the library where Sirius was stood.

"That's right Snivellus, get out! You have no friends here and who would want you anyway? Hey, if you need a pity shag I know the perfect-" Sirius was cut off.

Severus had heard what Sirius had begun to say about sexual actions towards women and it made his anger flare. Severus had placed his hand tightly around the mutt's neck and was holding him against the wall of the library, Sirius was struggling to breathe and his face was going purple due to lack of air through strangulation.

"Don't ever, speak about treating a woman like that to me Black or I will kill you" Severus said in a low, dangerous, promising voice.

Sirius was now trying to gasp for air and was also trying to free himself from Severus' grip, Sirius would never admit it but he was slightly panicking.

Remus had stood up and was quickly walking towards the two men getting ready to diffuse the situation; there would be no murders tonight on his watch.

As suddenly as Severus had grabbed Sirius' throat, he let go, letting the shaggy haired man cough and splutter as he hit the ground.

"You'll pay for that Snape!" Sirius roared in a raspy voice.

Sirius then went for his wand but froze when he realised his wand wasn't there. He looked at the floor around him and then back at Severus who was grinning at him.

"Looking for something mutt?" Severus asked casually.

Tonks had heard the commotion and had now joined the trio and was asking what was going on. She paused when she took in the situation and watched silently as Severus held Sirius' wand, threatening to snap the thing in half.

"Severus, think about it" Remus warned.

Severus relented and tossed the stick to the other side of the room and turned to walk away.

"That's right Snape, walk away like you always do! With your pathetic, empty threats that you never deliver on. You're just as pathetic as some of those women that I've-"

 **BAM!**

Sirius' world went black for a few moments and when he came round, his vision was blurry and he was on the floor. He couldn't feel his face or hear out of his left ear or see properly out of his left eye. He put his hand to his face and when he removed it, it was covered in blood. He looked up in shock.

The room was silent.

Severus lowered his right, now bruised, fist in satisfaction.

"That was just child's play Black" Severus growled through clenched teeth.

Severus turned on his heel and left the house, he then apparated back to Hogwarts.

Back in the library at Grimmauld place, the three were trying to wrap their heads around what happened.

Sirius still looked a little out of it but was aware enough to understand what was being said around him.

"How dare he do that to my cousin?!" Tonks exclaimed as she kneeled to tend to her cousins face.

"On the contrary dear Tonks, I think he got exactly what he deserved" Remus said.

Both Tonks and Sirius looked at Remus like he had lost it.

"You were asking for it" he said to Sirius with a shrug of the shoulders.

Remus went and picked up his wolfsbane and exited the library leaving the two cousins behind in shock.

Severus landed back at the Hogwarts gates and was looking forward to a midnight drink before sleep. He made his way to his quarters and he went in and sat down by the fire with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He then felt a sharp pain in his right hand and looked down at his blackened, bruised knuckles before wincing. It hurt but Severus had never felt so much satisfaction from any other action that he'd ever done. He had showed Black of his place tonight and he couldn't help a small smile tug on his lips at the thought.

"What the bloody hell happened to your hand?!" Hermione exclaimed, making him jump out of his skin


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Thank you all for your comments and reviews and support, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and I hope you all have an amazing start to 2017! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE :)**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Mentions of sexual assault, bad language, sexual scenes**

 **Sleepover, Naughtiness and Secret Tunnels**

Severus nearly spat out his drink at the sound of Hermione's voice from behind him.

"What the devil are you trying to do to me?" He exclaimed, trying to calm his terrified heart.

Severus could not believe that he had let his guard down and not even noticed that he wasn't alone in his rooms.

"It's past midnight! What are you doing in my rooms?" He asked, not that he was unhappy or ungrateful that she was here with him.

"I let myself in, I hope you don't mind. I wondered if I could stay with you tonight. Potion's is first class tomorrow, so as long as I'm sat in that seat before anyone else arrives, it will be ok. Please can I stay Severus?" She asked him.

Severus regarded her and knew it was risky but, there was something off in her eyes, she looked tired and he didn't know why but there was an automatic feeling of concern for her.

"Of course, is everything alright?" He asked her.

"You're asking me if I'm alright? I'm not the one sat there with bruised knuckles. Now what happened to your hand? Can I help?" She asked him worriedly.

Severus felt the tightening of his hand muscles and could feel the pain more clearly now. He was going to need some pain relief potion and bruise salve.

Before he could say anything, Hermione was already running off and finding him what he needed. She returned with the potion and salve and whilst Severus swallowed the potion, she kneeled down beside him and began to gently apply the salve to his damaged hand.

"What happened?" She murmured not expecting to get a response from him.

"I got into a fight" he said.

"With who?" She asked him.

"Black" he told her, watching her carefully for her reaction.

She froze in her actions and stared up at him from her position on the floor.

"I went to speak to Lupin, Black interrupted and I lost my temper and gave Black a right hook to the face" Severus explained.

Hermione's breath hitched and she didn't say anything in response. She didn't really know what to say in response. She carried on healing Severus' hand as a million thoughts were circling around her head.

Severus was watching her carefully; he was expecting another breakdown to be honest. But Hermione was stronger now and she said nothing about it, knowing that Severus would divulge more details later if he wanted to. She had already intruded into Severus' private affairs too much and felt awful about pressing him on private matters.

"May I still stay?" She asked quietly once she had finished healing his hand.

She hadn't looked back up at him since her initial reaction and she was staring fixated by the floor.

Severus placed his hand under her chin and raised her head to meet his eyes.

"Yes, you may" he acknowledged her question.

She smiled at him and yawned, she was tired and it was well past midnight now and she had classes in the morning.

"You may have my bed and I will take the sofa" he told her.

She began to protest but he held his hand up having none of it. He was a gentleman and he would sacrifice his bed for the lady.

"I won't let you Severus, I'm smaller than you are and I find the sofa really comfortable, I'll be fine please take your bed" she asked him.

"No, you shall take my bed. You need rest, I won't sleep much anyway" he told her stubbornly, arms crossed and with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I won't take it, I will sleep out here" she replied just as stubborn. She moved to where the sofa was and sat down with her arms crossed and just stared at him.

Severus just stared at her and tried not to chuckle at her stubbornness, two could play this game.

"Don't worry, I will just wait until you fall asleep and then move you to the bed. It's no problem, like you said, you're tired so you will fall asleep before I will" Severus replied, smirking at her.

"I will not, I can stay awake just as long as you can" she told him.

"Ok, I'll wait" he told as he grabbed a book from the table and settled back to read.

Hermione just stared at him, thinking about how stubborn Severus was and how beautiful he looked when he was concentrating on his reading. After a while of just watching him read, Hermione felt her eyelids drooping and could feel herself falling asleep.

Severus looked up and noticed that his Hermione had closed her eyes and seemed to have fallen asleep; he chuckled lightly and put his book down. The whole process of waiting for her to fall asleep had taken less than half an hour and he made his way over to her.

He picked her up in his arms and carried her towards his bedroom. He removed the covers and placed her down on his bed. He removed her cloak that she was wearing and took of her ballet flats that she liked to wander around in and moved to cover her body with the duvet.

As he looked back at her face, he noticed that her eyes had half opened and that she was aware of her surroundings. She had a couple of tears rolling down her cheeks and Severus froze in place.

He knew she hadn't been alright when he first noticed she was in his rooms. He should've pressed her, something was clearly upsetting her.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" He whispered gently as he took her hand in his now healed one.

She shook her head, she was still half asleep.

"Please stay" she whispered to him, her beautiful brown eyes pleading him.

Severus breathed out, this was wrong. She was half asleep and upset, she didn't really mean it and would freak out in the morning if she found them sharing the fucking bed and then she would lose trust in him and would never forgive him.

"Please" she begged again.

Severus relented and removed his own shoes and cloak. He quickly changed into his pyjama bottoms and turned back towards the bed and noticed that she was still staring at him sleepily.

His bed was huge and he knew that if he slept right towards the edge then he wouldn't be touching her in anyway. As he hesitantly made his way into the bed, he lay down on his back and stared up at the ceiling. He heard Hermione's breathing even out and knew she was falling back to sleep.

He jumped when he felt her small hand placed in his and looked immediately over to her peaceful face.

Severus wasn't sure how long he lay there just staring at her but soon he began to feel his eyes grow heavy and knew he was falling asleep. There was only one thought on his mind as sleep overtook him.

'My God! She is beautiful'

Morning came a few hours later and Hermione opened her eyes. She looked around for a moment in bewilderment as she forgot for a second where she was. But then her mind woke up and she remembered the night before.

She remembered everything from walking into her common room and then the shouting and screaming and how she had fled the Gryffindor and ran for the safety of Severus' rooms.

Then she remembered Severus and she could feel him as his and her body had become intertwined during the night.

She took in their position and noticed that her hand had made its way up his sleep shirt and was resting on his chest. He looked so beautiful when he was sleeping, so peaceful, so at ease. There were no worries or cares just the world of dreams and he always looked at least ten years younger when he slept. He was amazing.

Severus had his arm thrown over her waist and their bodies were pressed close together. Hermione could feel every inch of his body against hers, including his delicious morning erection.

Hermione was becoming more and more confident with things like this. But only when it was Severus, she still felt uncomfortable when other males touched her and she always felt tense and like she couldn't relax around other males. But Severus, she never had to think twice, it was instantaneous.

With her Severus so close to her and being able to feel his stiff manhood, she felt naughty and decided she should wake him up in a way that she had read that men liked to woken up.

She slung her leg so that it was over his hip and so their lower bodies were so close and she gently and teasingly began rocking her hips against him, just catching his erection a little bit with each rocking motion.

Severus moved slightly in his sleep, his body was aware that something was going on but he was in such a deep sleep that the movements hadn't woken him yet.

After a few minutes of teasing him by grinding against him, Hermione could now feel that he was solid beneath his pyjama bottoms, she could feel the heat that was emanating from his cock and she could also feel a small bit of moisture on her thigh from where he was clearly leaking pre-come through his trousers.

She wanted to move into the next stage, she moved her hand and placed it hesitantly near the outline of his dick slowly trailed her thumb down the length just to test it out. This was the first time she had done this and she was nervous but there was something thrilling her at the same time.

Severus' hips were now moving as she continued to lightly stroke the shaft through his trousers; he was clearly trying to get more friction.

Then Hermione used her whole hand to grasp his length through his bottoms and she slowly began adding pressure and moving her hand up and down the length, just like she'd read in that book.

It was after this that Severus' eyes opened and it took him a moment to remember everything but all those thoughts quickly flew out the window as he began to feel his cock tingling.

He looked down and his eyes widened as he saw his Hermione staring at his crotch and focusing on what her hand was doing.

He couldn't help it, he groaned loudly.

Hermione froze in her actions and looked up into Severus' now open eyes and she assessed him for a moment for his reaction to their situation and she bit her lip in contemplation.

Severus just stared at her and said nothing, he couldn't think of what to say. He knew he should be stopping her but at the same time he didn't want too.

Hermione tested to waters, whilst staring Severus dead in the eye, she moved her hand up and back down his shaft again and gauged Severus' response.

Severus growled carnally and she grinned at him. She knew she was doing it right at least. She had never done this before and was unsure how to do it so she experimented with alternating the pressure she applied and how quickly she moved her hand and wrist.

Severus seemed to be more responsive when she moved her hand quickly and alternated her grip between an average and a tight grasp. He also seemed to like it when she used her thumb to circle the head of his cock.

Severus was blissfully enjoy her attentions although somewhere in the back of his lust driven mind was trying (and failing dramatically) to tell him to think logically about the situation that he was currently in. While she was his friend and the two clearly had mutual attraction to each other, she was still his student.

However Severus wasn't able to think much on that in that moment because he could feel himself reaching the brink of climax and without further rational thinking, he focused solely on the ministrations that were taking place on his person.

"Mmmmmmm...Hermione, Merlin!" Severus was uttering almost unintelligibly and was making the manliest sounds.

"Fuck! Ughhh...I think I'm going to-" Severus' rambling was cut of my Hermione who was now using a second hand to assist with the first and she had one hand stroking Severus quickly and firmly whilst massaging the head and her second hand had lightly began to fondle his balls.

Severus wasn't prepared for the sensory overload and he felt the delicious snap inside him.

"I'm com-" Severus tried to warn her as he exploded in his pyjama bottoms.

Hermione had her hand still wrapped around him and continued to pump him through his climax. She felt his bottoms get warm and damp as his body produced ribbons after ribbons of cum.

Once Severus was finished, Hermione let go of him and for the first time she met his eyes.

Severus was trying to gain control of his breathing and his mind cleared.

Shit! What the bloody hell had just happened?

'She's just given you the best hand-job and the best climax of your existence, that's what happened!

Severus groaned, he knew he had enjoyed it but he shouldn't have let it happen. He was her teacher, there could be so much trouble over this. Severus knew that he would have to be delicate about it but he knew he needed to talk to her about what just happened.

He looked at his Hermione who was staring at him waiting for him to say something first.

"That was exquisite darling" Severus began as he placed a light kiss to her forehead.

"But..." Hermione trailed off sensing that there was an afterthought that he wanted to add.

Severus sighed as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close but did not hold her tightly so she would feel claustrophobic.

"But my dear, we must talk about this before anything else happens. Whilst I enjoyed your wakeup call we need to consider that you are still a student , my student. It's clear that there is more for the both of us want with each other however, it shouldn't really happen whilst we are on school grounds" he told her.

She sighed but she agreed, they were playing with fire.

"This castle is alive, the walls have eyes and ears. You are far too important to be expelled and I am in charge of keeping an eye on the Slytherin's so I am needed here, for the both of us to be sent away from the castle would be most unpractical also, I don't want you to feel as if you have to do these things, I don't want you to rush into things" he told her.

Hermione nodded, showing that she agreed with what he was saying.

"I did it because I wanted to" she whispered.

Severus looked at her and understood.

"But I didn't ask you, I should've made sure that it was alright for me to do it. My God! What have I done? I'm sorry Severus, I am so, so sorry" she exclaimed verging on hysteria.

She had just realised that she had accosted Severus' person whilst he was sleeping which meant that he had no choice in the matter because she had taken liberties with his unconscious state.

Severus knew what she was talking about and knew she probably felt dreadful but he wasn't complaining he enjoyed this morning's activities.

Severus did something he didn't normally do. He put his arms around the shaking witch and pulled her close to him. He shushed her and stroked his hand lightly through her hair.

"Hey, it's alright. Yes, you didn't ask but you didn't need to, that was probably the most enjoyable wakeup call I've ever and I'm not upset that you did it" he said to her gently whilst still holding her.

"Also, now that you're healing it's only natural that you want to...explore, understand what it is really all about and I'm not going to stop that progress and also, I really don't mind...I promise. If you have any questions or there is anything that you would like to try, within reason, just say so" he told her, placing a light kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you Severus" she smiled at him and hugged him back.

They stayed there in that position, just cuddling for about half an hour.

"Come on, up you get. Breakfast starts in about 45 minutes" Severus informed her.

Hermione groaned, she didn't want to leave the safety of Severus' rooms, she didn't want to go out there, she didn't want to go and face the world today, she wanted to hide away and be with Severus for the day but she knew she would have to get up and go to class. To not do so would be asking for trouble.

She sighed and grabbed her clothes before heading for Severus' bathroom to get ready for the day. When she came back out, Severus was dressed and ready for the day.

Severus noticed the look on her face and was immediately concerned again. She had worn that exact expression last night and he had not questioned her further but something was definitely bothering her.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked her.

She gave him a not so convincing smile in return.

"I'm fine" she told him.

He knew she was lying, he would find out later but he wasn't about to upset her when she had a day of classes to get through. He knew when a woman said that she was 'fine' it was often the opposite.

"Alright, let's get you out of here. I'm about to show you a secret passage that leads from my rooms and leads to the shrieking shack" he divulged the information to her.

Hermione looked astonished.

"Another passage way? How come we didn't know about it? Surely it would show up on-" Hermione caught herself before she gave away her friends secrets.

"The passageway connects to a load of tunnels that lead to different places in and around the school. I will show you a passage that will lead you to the portrait opposite the room of requirement. Make sure you check that you are alone before you exit the portrait, we don't want anyone else discovering it now do we?" He said to her.

"Show me" she exclaimed, practically bouncing off the walls in excitement.

He chuckled and he showed her the way.

When she finally reached the great hall for breakfast, Severus was already sat at the teachers table and was munching his way through his breakfast.

She went to sit down at her usual spot next to Harry and opposite Ron but something was different this time.

"I will see you in class" Ron muttered to Harry as he got up and practically ran from the room without even saying a word to Hermione and headed off early towards potion.

"What the hell was that about?" Harry asked Hermione.

Hermione however hadn't heard him, she had gone pale and felt dread settle in the pit of her stomach.

Severus had also noted the exchange and thought it odd, so he quickly finished breakfast and headed towards his potions classroom to head off the red head before he destroyed Severus' classroom.

"What happened Mione?" Harry questioned her again.

"I told Ron what happened over the summer and he's not taking it too well" Hermione said with a sigh.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: I got such a strong, positive response from the last chapter from you all...I'm ever so thankful! I hope you all had an amazing New Year, here's to 2017! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you my lovelies! :)**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Mentions of sexual assault and bad language**

 **Severus, Ron and an Empty Room**

"Mr Weasley, I did not give you permission to enter my classroom" Severus said as he noted the ginger settled down in his usual class seat.

The boy hadn't responded to Severus and Severus felt his patience slowly snapping.

"Do not ignore me Weasley! Now answer me, what are you doing in my classroom without permission?" Severus demanded.

Ron looked the professor defiantly and Severus took this opportunity to use Legilimency on the boy. Severus knew that doing this was wrong but it the boy was going to be volatile for potions class then Severus would rather rid of the boy before he let his emotions get in the way and destroy the classroom.

Severus looked into the boys mind and found the typical things one would expect to see in a young male mind. There were vague images of nude women in a magazine and a dirty dream or two. There was badly written homework, scribbled down on paper the night before it was due in. There were snapshots of parties, underage drinking and just general larking about with friends and then, there was a snapshot of Hermione.

Severus quickly latched onto this image and found that there was a lot of anger surrounding this memory. Looking deeper, Severus gained a bit of an understanding about what had happened.

It seemed that Hermione had taken Severus' advice and delicately informed Ron about what had been going on and it appeared that the Weasley boy had got upset over it all.

The Weasley boy seemed angry that Hermione had been hurt in the first place. He was seething that it was Sirius Black that had done it. He was spitting feathers that nothing had been done about it. But what pissed him off the most was that Ron had offered Hermione support, he had promised that he would protect her and cherish her, he had asked her to consider if they could more than friends and Hermione had refused him. Ron being Ron, had naturally taken this rejection hard and had lashed out at his friend and had said some things that were maybe uncalled for and Hermione had taken off extremely upset and he had not seen her for the rest of the night. Severus couldn't quite access the whole memory, some parts were blurred and there was something about the sheer look of horror on Hermione's face that he was unsure about.

Ron had been brooding ever since and had a right mind to talk about what had happened regardless of the fact that he had promised Hermione that he wouldn't say anything.

The boy was angry that he had been left out of the loop again and he was frustrated that his friends were keeping secrets from him as if he were untrustworthy.

Severus sighed, he knew something had been wrong with Hermione when she had come to his rooms the night before.

Severus retreated from Ron's mind, he had only been in there for about ten seconds, but that has enough time to gain an understanding about what had been going on. Now, Severus was faced with another problem. Ronald Weasley was now practically a ticking bomb and nobody could predict when he would explode. Severus knew he had to do something before classes started, for the sake of his students, for the safety of his classroom, for his Hermione and for his own sanity.

"Did you just look at my thoughts?" Ron asked angrily, his fists clenched and teeth gritted.

Severus raised an eyebrow and just stared at the boy, there were too many valuable potions in here and now was not the time for an episode of explosive, accidental magic.

"Follow me Weasley" he said

Ron looked confused but Severus had already turned and walked towards his rooms leaving no room for argument. Ron followed without complaint.

Ron walked behind Severus and didn't really have much time to take in the potions masters rooms and eventually, Severus came to a halt in front of a locked door.

Severus opened the door and stepped inside the room. Ron looked around and noticed the room was completely empty.

"Why'd you bring me in here?" He asked his professor.

Severus stared at him and sighed.

"I did look into your mind Mr Weasley and I saw what was going on with Miss Granger. I just thought you needed to 'let off some steam' as it were and I cannot take the risk of that occurring in my classroom. So, go ahead, this is an empty room, shout, scream, say some hexes, do what you want" Severus shrugged as he relaxed.

Ron hesitated, this was obviously a trap and Ron wasn't going to fall for it. So Ron kept his cool.

"She said you knew about it all and had done since day one" Ron stated to his potions master calmly but bitterly.

"That is correct" Severus responded equally calm.

"Why didn't you do anything? How cruel and low do you have to be to not help her in any way?" Ron said with a tinge of anger laced in his voice.

'Hermione forgive me' he thought to himself, it was the only way he could help Ron.

"Why would I do something for a know-it-all chit who couldn't accept that life isn't fair?" Severus asked him, raising his eyebrow.

Ron snapped.

"HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! SHE IS YOUR STUDENT, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HER" Ron spat, he was displaying accidental magic and sparks were flying from his wand which was now clasped tightly in his hand.

Severus had anticipated this and was holding up a shielding charm just in case.

"Why should I care about someone so insignificant? A nuisance really." Severus commented.

Ron was fully enraged and he let out a series of hexes and colourful vocabulary, he was holding strong for about ten minutes before he exhausted himself and stopped the onslaught.

Severus, who had not a scratch on him waited patiently.

"Why didn't she just come to me? She could've told me! She knows she can tell me anything" Ron muttered, voice thick with raw emotion.

Severus sighed.

"Maybe if you had been there for her this summer instead of alienating her and making her feel like she was shit on your shoe, perhaps she would've trusted you" Severus commented.

"Merlin, every time Harry or I needed her, she was there. The one time she needs us and we turn her away" Ron whispered, he sat on the floor distraught at the extra emotional pain that he had caused his friend and Ronald Weasley found himself crying in a cold, empty room and embarrassingly in front of his most hated professor.

'Finally' Severus thought to himself.

Ron had clearly needed to unleash hell and get rid of the negative emotions that he had been harbouring. Now all that was left was the nostalgia, the 'what should've been'.

"Class is about to begin Mr Weasley, you will sort yourself out and come to my lesson or leave. I don't care as long as you are out of my rooms in five minutes" Severus warned him, he hung around long enough to see the boy nod in agreement and Severus left the room allowing the boy to have a few moments in private to compose himself.

Severus headed towards his classroom and waited for the students to arrive for the first lesson of the day.

The students flocked in and he noticed his Hermione looked pale and she and looked under malnourished again, Severus knew she hadn't been eating properly even though he tried to ply her with food as much as he could. He had also overheard rumours from the girls that she shared a dormitory with, that she had been having nightmares again. Apparently, she had been screaming out in her sleep and it had startled the other girls and had taken them a while to get Hermione back.

Whilst the students were brewing their assignment for the lesson, Severus mulled over his Hermione. That would make sense for one of the reasons why Hermione had come down to his rooms. He knew that whenever she felt like she was being a nuisance to the other girls and knew that Severus would be able to help her, she would always seek sanctuary in his rooms. The trouble was, what had triggered her to be suffering nightmares again and what were they about?

He knew that her argument with Mr Weasley may have also contributed to her distress. He decided that he would talk to her after class was over.

"Miss Granger stay behind" Severus called out to her as everyone began to filter out of the classroom.

Once everyone had gone he locked and warded the classroom door and placed a silencing charm around the room. He stared at her for a few moments.

"Right, what's going on?" He asked her.

"Nothing, I'm fine Severus" she said smiling at him; she was always blown away by how much he cared about her.

"That's bullshit Hermione. You've not been eating, you're pale and you haven't been sleeping well. I've heard the other girls in your dormitory talk about your nightmares and on top of all of that, I've had a Mr Weasley in my rooms this morning and allowed him to vent out his frustrations in an empty room. The boy broke down crying and from what I can tell, it's because of a conversation that took place between to two of you last night. So, out with it, what is wrong Hermione?" He asked her gently.

Hermione sighed and sat down in one of the chairs in the classroom.

"Alright, you win. It's just, with everybody finding out and more people getting involved, I keep thinking about it and then when I go to sleep, I keep seeing what happened over and over again. Then when I wake up I naturally don't feel like eating anything because the dreams make me feel sick. Then last night when you told me that you all plan on confronting Sirius, I freaked out and broke down in the common room in front of Ron and Harry and that was when Ron knew something was wrong so I told him and he was so mad at me. He told me that he had planned to ask me out on a date but that now I was 'damaged goods' I would obviously not want to. Before I could explain myself he went up to his room. Harry stayed with me, not really knowing what to say and that was when I left to come down here, I just wanted to feel safe and peaceful. I'm sorry I intruded" she finished her explanation.

Severus practically exploded.

"That little shit!" Severus snapped, making Hermione jump.

"Severus, it's alright. I've learned over the years that the problem with Ron is that he speaks before he thinks about it. I don't think he meant it quite like that. He meant that because it had happened, I wouldn't want to be touched now. I think he was angrier about the fact that lots of people knew and he being one of my best friends didn't. I think he felt that we didn't trust him and was purposely keeping him out of the loop. Please don't be mad at him, or do anything, he will come round but he does need some time. I don't think he will say anything to anyone but it's always worse when he's upset so thank you for allowing him a therapy session to let out his emotions" she told Severus.

"A man should never speak to a woman like that" Severus said, voice slightly strained as if he were restraining himself from going to find the boy.

"Please Severus, honestly, it will be fine" Hermione said gently.

Severus sighed.

"Alright, but if you change your mind or if I catch him speaking to you in such a way, he will suffer consequences" Severus told her.

"Deal" Hermione said smiling at him.

"Right, let me give you a note for your next class as you are obviously late to your lesson" Severus said as he reached for some parchment and began to write a note on it.

He passed it to her and she thanked him and she turned to leave the classroom.

"Oh, also I expect to see you in the great hall for lunch and dinner. You will have a full plate at both meals and you will eat it all. If you don't then I will ask Madame Pompfrey to place me on monitoring your food intake. Is that clear?" He warned her.

Hermione nodded at him, she knew not to take offence and that he wasn't trying to treat her like a child. He was just worried about her and it touched her that he cared that much about her.

She walked back across the classroom and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"Thank you Severus. For everything" she told him.

"You're welcome" he told her.

They smiled at each other and Hermione left the room and Severus waited a few moments before exiting the classroom behind her.

Both of them failed to notice someone watching them from behind the blackboard in the classroom.

Hermione went through the rest of the day feeling slightly uplifted, Severus always made her smile. She had stuck to her promise and had eaten at meals under the watchful eye of Severus and was now heading to the library to get some reading and homework done before curfew.

In the library she heard footsteps approaching her from behind and she got her wand prepared just in case. She felt a silencing charm going up around her and knew that Severus was approaching her.

Well, that's what she thought until Ron sat down opposite her. Hermione looked startled for a moment and then smiled uncertainly at him, she had wanted to talk to him all day but didn't want to overwhelm him and so she had given him his space.

"Hermione, I wanted to apologise about what I said to you last night, I wasn't thinking, I was upset that you felt you couldn't confide in me and I just sort of lost it. I'm a brute and I am impulsive and unpredictable when it comes to emotions. I can see now why you were hesitant to tell me" he told her.

She looked at him.

"I know, that's why I gave you some space because I knew you didn't mean it the way you said it. But are you alright?" She asked him.

Ron nodded and then flushed bright red. He remembered another thing that he had said to her last night that he hadn't meant to.

"I uh, also said about the whole wanting to ask you out thing" Ron started.

"It's alright Ron don't worry about it, I told you that I didn't mind, I knew it was emotions talking" she smiled at him.

Ron frowned at her.

"No, I meant what I said about that. I think I've had a crush on you for a while now and I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend at Christmas but there is no pressure. I understand your situation now, although I wish you hadn't told me who done it, I actually liked Sirius." He informed her.

Hermione cringed internally; this wasn't going to be pretty. She reached out and gently took Ron's hand.

"Ron, I'm really not in a place to be dating right now, you deserve someone who is going to be committed to you, that's not me. Not right now anyway" she half lied to him, hoping that she wouldn't hurt him.

Ron nodded in acceptance.

"Thanks Hermione, I'm sorry for what I said and I'm sorry what happened to you. If you need to talk to me, I promise you can talk to me" he told her.

She grinned at him and the two of them shared a hug, Ron left her to her work and went to find Harry.

He was slightly miffed, he never did handle rejection well and it was angering him that Hermione had turned him down, regardless of the situation.

He decided not to go and find Harry and instead spent some time to himself, just thinking about what he could do to get Hermione to eventually change her mind about him.

After a while he grinned like a Cheshire cat, he knew exactly what he would do to win her over.

Hermione had finished her work and she knew it was near curfew so she headed back towards the common room which, because of how late it was, was empty, except for Ron who was sat in one of the chairs.

"Hey Ron, are you alright? Can't sleep?" She asked him with a smile.

He nodded at her and grinned.

Hermione stepped back; there was something that she didn't like, a dark look in his eyes.

"I want you to do something for me" he whispered to her.

She gulped, something was wrong, Hermione was starting to sweat and her pulse began to speed up.

"I just want one thing Hermione" he told her.

She just stared at him.

"I want a kiss Hermione, just one kiss and that will be all" he told her.

Hermione blinked at him.

"What? Ron, where has this come from? I told you, I'm not ready for this. I'm sorry but I can't" Hermione told him on the verge of tears. She was begging him to drop it.

"You will give me what I ask for Hermione, you owe it to me in exchange of keeping your secret" he told her, walking towards her.

"Ron, please don't hold that against me, I don't want anyone else to know about what happened. I just want to let the adults deal with it like they said they are going to do at Christmas. Please Ron, don't make me do this or you will be just as bad as him in my mind" she begged him, tears spelling down her cheeks.

How dare he use her assault against her to take cheap shots!

Ron chuckled darkly and shook his head.

"That's not exactly what I meant" he told her grinning viciously.

Hermione frowned in confusion. What was he going on about?

Ron put her out of her misery and told her.

"If you can kiss the greasy git of the dungeons then you can sure as hell kiss me" he informed her.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Once again, thank you all for ready and leaving me reviews. I'm glad you're still enjoying my story. I especially want to say a massive thank you to my guest reviewer, Owl Lover, for completely binge-reading this story and being so hyped up about every chapter! Thank you so much! :). Well, here is the next chapter for you guys, hope you enjoy!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings - Mentions of sexual assault, bad language and scenes of a sexual nature**

 **Nightmares, Room of Requirement and a Memory**

Hermione jolted awake and found herself sat in the library. She had fallen asleep and had slipped into a bad dream. She wiped the sweat away from her face and tried to get her breathing to even out.

What a nightmare!

She couldn't believe that her mind had formulated something so awful; Hermione knew that Ron would never do something like that.

Ron often let his emotions get the better of him but the one thing that Ron would not do was blackmail. Hermione knew that, but the dream had still unnerved her.

She sat for a few minutes and tried to calm down when she heard footsteps approaching her. She immediately freaked out and took out her wand, in her moment of madness she cast a slight stunning charm as a warning to whoever was coming up behind her.

She heard a grunt of shock and slight pain from behind her and turned around to face her victim.

Hermione gasped when she saw Severus, bent slightly at the waist and hand slightly gripping his package. He looked at her, face slightly pained and silently asked her what the hell she thought she was doing.

"I am so sorry, you startled me and I just reacted, I didn't think-" she tried to get out in one breath.

Severus straightened up and walked, with a slight limp, over to where she was sitting and glared at her.

"What possessed you to do that?" He whispered harshly to her.

Hermione gulped. He was using his strict professor voice and made her feel as if she were the size of an ant. She looked up at him fearfully, waiting for him to deliver her punishment.

"Miss Granger! How dare you attack a teacher like that" exclaimed the voice of Professor Flitwick.

Both Hermione and Severus turned towards the professor who had clearly been standing close enough to have seen what was going on.

Hermione knew that attacking a teacher was grounds for expulsion; she was going to get in so much trouble. There is absolutely no way she was getting out of this. Hermione was sweating.

Hermione was about to reply when there was a commotion from outside the library. Both professors immediately turned their attention to the noise and Severus headed towards the entrance to the library to investigate, leaving Hermione with the charms professor.

"Miss Granger, what was that all about? It is unlike you to be this way" Flitwick said to her, he wasn't being harsh with her but he was giving her an opportunity to explain her actions.

"I came here to get some work done and fell asleep, I had a nightmare and I woke to the sound of footsteps approaching me from behind. I panicked and didn't think. I wasn't even sure that I was entirely awake" she told her professor.

The adrenaline of her dream had worn off and she now felt completely drained of energy.

Severus came back and approached the pair after finding the noise to be some idiot first years mucking around. He had deducted points from them, given them detention and told them to bugger off.

"That will be 30 points from Gryffindor, I think Miss Granger" Severus heard Flitwick say.

"Don't you think that's for me to decide Filius?" Severus drawled in his monotone.

"Of course Severus, I was merely trying to express that the girl's explanation seems legitimate. Don't be too hard on her" Filius said.

Severus glared at the shorter wizard and Filius practically ran from the room. Severus turned his attention back to his Hermione and raised his eyebrows, waiting for further explanation.

"I'm so sorry, I was asleep and it wasn't the happiest of dreams and you startled me, I didn't think, I just reacted. I am so, so sorry. I didn't hurt you too badly did I?" She asked him worriedly.

He assessed her for a few moments before he sighed, no matter what, he couldn't bring himself to be mad at her.

"Next time you should think before you act. Now about these bad dreams, would some dreamless sleep potion help?" He asked her.

She nodded at him and started to pack her belongings into her bag. She wanted to be done here; she wanted to go to sleep.

"I will send you some but tonight you will have to make do without" he told her.

She nodded and quietly thanked him.

"What was your dream about?" He asked her.

"I was here in the library doing work and I heard footsteps approach me from behind, it was Ron. He apologised for how he acted after I told him about what had happened to me and we were talking again. Then I went back to the common room and he was waiting up for me and he blackmailed me saying that if I could kiss (she pointed at Severus, in case they were overheard), then I could kiss him and then I woke up. But I woke up to hearing your footsteps approaching me from behind. I panicked at sent a warning spell at you. I'm so, so sorry, I wasn't even sure if I was truly awake or still dreaming" she told him.

He nodded at her, he wanted to hug her but didn't just in case they were being watched.

"Well, in light of events, Professor Flitwick's punishment is acceptable and I will take no further action" he told her in his professors tone and winked at her to let her know she wasn't in any serious trouble.

"However, you should get back to your dormitory before curfew" he told her.

She nodded and mouthed a 'thank you' at him and he nodded at her in return as she collected her things and left the library.

She didn't think about the incident in the library until she walked into the common room and found Harry and Ron sat up and waiting for her.

"There you are Mione, we were just about to come and search for you" Ron said.

Hermione smiled at the boys, she was still perturbed by her dream but shook it off. These were her boys and unless they gave her any reason not to, she would trust them.

"I was in-" she began

"The library" the boys chorused, finishing her sentence for her.

She huffed at them and they just laughed at her response. Hermione walked over to them and sat down between them in the sofa; she swatted them both on their arms but grinned at them playfully.

The three were sat together just talking when there was a hissing sound from the fire. The trio focused their attention on the fire when suddenly the face of Sirius Black emerged from the ashes.

Hermione's heart froze, she didn't move and she didn't blink. The boys were equally as shocked but also knew that they should not give away the fact they knew about the darker side of Sirius Black. It was probably safer for all those involved.

"Harry! Good to see you son! We've all been dying to know about this Umbridge woman" Sirius exclaimed through the fire.

None of the trio moved, Harry decided that he needed to say something and quickly before Sirius became suspicious.

"Goodness you startled me Sirius! We are all well and Umbridge is not letting us use magic at all" Harry told Sirius, hoping he sounded normal.

"Yes, latest intelligence is that the ministry doesn't want you trained in combat, Fudge thinks you're planning to form some sort of army and fight against the wizarding government" Sirius informed them.

This was nothing new, they already knew this, had known it for weeks.

"We thought that might be the case" Harry told him.

"At the moment, it seems as if you are on your own. I'm sorry I can't be of more use to you Harry. I must go now but please be careful, remember the walls have ears" Sirius warned before he disappeared.

The boys looked at one another and shrugged, that was one of the most pointless calls ever made. There was no new information at all; it was risky for Sirius to fire-call. What the hell had he been thinking?

The boys turned to Hermione who was still in the same frozen position, she looked pale and like she was about to be sick.

The boys looked at each other worriedly. Harry knelt down on the floor so that he was lower than Hermione, hoping that he wouldn't scare her.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" Harry asked gently. Ron looked on with concern written all over his face.

Hermione snapped out of it and noticed that Sirius had gone and that the boys were trying to communicate with her.

"Sorry, I'm fine, it was just an unexpected surprise is all" Hermione said.

Sirius popping up had scared her but she knew that he wasn't physically here so she wasn't as afraid as she thought she might have been. This was a good sign, after all she had promised herself that she should move on and stop worrying about him. It was no way to live the rest of her life and she wasn't going to let it get to her anymore. She was fine.

Harry was about to reply when the door to the common room burst open. The trio jumped, startled at the sudden noise throughout the silent room and they turned to the doorway to see Neville running in.

Neville's face immediately relaxed at seeing the trio sat there.

"Just who I was looking for, come on! Follow me! We have to be quick if we are to beat curfew" Neville exclaimed quickly.

The trio immediately sprang into action and followed Neville as he hurried back out of the portrait towards the staircase.

Eventually the four of them came to a halt.

"See, its here, I think I've found it" Neville exclaimed excitedly.

The trio stared at each other confused; they were all looking at a blank wall.

"Um, Neville-" Harry began.

He was cut off by a faint noise, the four of them stared at the wall perplexed as they watched it practically grow a door. They entered the room, it was huge, it was spacious and would be perfect to practice defence in without being caught.

"You've done it Neville! It's the room of requirement" Hermione giggled and launching herself at Neville.

"So I did good right? This is good" he asked them hoping for confirmation that this was the right thing.

The trio nodded.

"You've done brilliantly Neville" Harry said smiling.

The first gathering in the room of requirement had taken place about a week after the room's discovery by Neville.

Everyone had been amazed by the turn of events and all had been more than enthusiastic to begin sessions straight away.

They started with basic spells and basic defence but at least everyone was beginning to feel useful again. They had made a good start and they knew it would only progress from there.

The middle of November had just passed and things were beginning to look hopeful again.

Hermione had been on her way down to the dungeons for her occlumency session with Severus when she noticed that everyone was heading outside. Hermione was confused and noticed that Severus and Draco were also following the crowd wondering what the hell was going on.

They saw Hermione but didn't acknowledge her; there were far too many people around for formalities.

Hermione found Neville and began to walk with him.

"What's going on Neville?" She asked him knowing that Severus and Draco were right behind her.

"Apparently, it's Professor Trelawney" Neville told her grimly.

Hermione looked at him with a concerned expression and she knew Severus and Draco were just as confused.

Things made sense when they reached the quad. There was Filtch, throwing Trelawney's things at her whilst Umbridge was giving her an official dismissal.

Trelawney was a mess and McGonagall moved to comfort her.

Umbridge looked at the scene gleefully until Dumbledore showed up, he told Trelawney that she was more than welcome to stay and that Umbridge didn't have the right to banish former members of staff. McGonagall escorted Trelawney back inside the castle whilst Dumbledore told the students to scatter and he disappeared.

Hermione looked around as the students began to disperse and noticed Draco ushering her to their hidden room so they could talk.

Draco asked what Hermione was doing for Christmas. Hermione didn't have an answer, she didn't know. Her parents were who knows where, she definitely didn't want to go to Grimmauld and she felt that the burrow might be too busy and too loud. She would probably just stay at Hogwarts.

"I've been summoned home" Draco muttered grumpily. It was the last place he wanted to go really.

The unlikely friends comforted each other and spent the day just talking when curfew was close and they decided to part ways for the night.

A few days later she had been asked to stay behind after her potions class. Severus had told her that he was going to stop supplying her with dreamless sleep potion.

"Too many brilliant witches and wizards begin to rely on this. You are better than an addiction to a potion. If you need help, I can teach you how to occlude your dreams. But see what happens first without taking the potion" he told her.

She grinned at him.

"You do realise that you just called me brilliant" she told him.

"Tell anyone and I shall forever deny it" he teased her.

They shared a secret smile before he cleared his throat to speak again.

"Are you free this evening for an occlumency lesson seeing as we had to postpone our previous lesson" he asked her.

She nodded and agreed to meet him back in his office at 7pm that evening. Hermione was secretly thrilled, she enjoyed spending her time with Severus and it had been happening less and less recently. This was due to Hermione's workload becoming heavier as the Christmas holidays were getting closer and it seemed that Severus was called more and more by the dark lord.

Hermione entered Severus' office at 7pm and he was there waiting for her.

"Right, are you ready?" He asked her.

She nodded at him and he began to enter her mind. She had been doing well and was getting better at defending her thoughts. However, there would be a couple of times that Severus would latch on to her embarrassing memories and her defences would practically break down and he would see the memories in full.

Severus had told her that this was normal and that when learning to do this people often had something that was too powerful that it was difficult to protect.

For example, Draco always found it difficult to occlude memories that were to do with his father and regarding his sexuality.

For Severus, he had found it difficult to occlude memories of his father and Lily but he had eventually managed it.

Hermione found it difficult to occlude any embarrassing memories and so Severus would always get the full story. Today was no different.

Severus found himself in one of the dormitories at Hogwarts. The room looked empty and dark, there were signs of Christmas decorations and so he could only assume that this was a memory of a previous Christmas.

Hermione knew already what this memory was of and she was already trying to shove Severus out of her mind.

Severus was intrigued, she had never had this reaction to being this early in a memory before. Severus began to move around and look at the room.

He noticed that all the beds were empty except one, he guessed that the bed was the one that belonged to Hermione. He moved closer to the bed and stopped. Yes, this was Hermione's bed alright, he could also see from where he was that the golden girl of Gryffindor, the goodie two shoes, had her hand below her bedsheets and was moving her hand ferociously against herself.

Hermione was reliving the memory in complete embarrassment. She had tried to push Severus out of her mind but knew it was a lost cause. This was the memory of the first time she had masturbated, she was just going through the emotions of it all.

Severus on the other hand was floored, he hadn't even considered this a possibility that he would find a memory like this is Hermione's mind. Had the witch always looked this mouthwatering whilst flushed?

The memory Hermione was now making little groans and moans and the distinct sound of squelching could be heard from underneath the covers.

Hermione was highly embarrassed and had sent a message through her mind to tell Severus to stop.

Severus respected her decision and immediately withdrew from her mind.

Back in Severus' office he looked at a fuchsia faced Hermione as she looked down at the floor with interest.

Severus chuckled and went over to her and hugged her.

"It's alright, I will make you a deal. When we have finished this stage, I will share some of my private memories with you. Is that agreeable?" He asked.

Hermione nodded still looking at the floor.

Severus hugged her and she looked up at him.

"You're human Hermione" he told her.

She nodded and just like that the tension broke and they resumed their natural relaxed positions.

"I think that will be all for today" Severus said.

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip and nodded.

"I'm so embarrassed" she told him not really knowing what else to say.

"Don't be, as head of house I have actually walked in on students in that situation" Severus told her.

Hermione looked at him wide eyed. Gods! How embarrassing would that have been.

Severus chuckled at the girls reaction once more and he called it a day, telling her that she was free to leave and enjoy the rest of her evening.

Hermione smiled and wished him a good night, with her cheeks still tinged red.

She sadly didn't see Severus much after that night. Hermione was slightly disappointed by the last two weeks of November. Nothing really happened, the DA (as they had now named themselves) had been practicing and Severus had to miss Hermione's occlumency sessions due to frequent death eater meetings. Hermione was worried about Severus, he had seemed to have withdrawn from Hermione a little. But she put that down to having no time, Severus would come to her if he needed her, she accepted that he needed his space.

Hermione was almost wishing for something exciting to happen but in hindsight, she had probably just jinxed her luck because less than two weeks later, her wish came true.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Once again, thank you all for the support and comments you make on my this story. I tried not to make Ron the bad guy, I'm not fond of Ron as a character and yes he can be childish and impulsive but I don't think he deserves to be an evil character. Here's chapter 32, hope you enjoy! :)**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings - Mentions of sexual assault and bad language**

 **Arthur, Sleeping at Severus' and Minerva's near litter of kittens**

Hermione was summoned to the office of Albus Dumbledore during her morning charms class. She had been slightly frustrated when Harry and Ron hadn't bothered to turn up for class, they were always leaving her out and going and doing things on their own and it was beginning to make her feel as though she were invisible to them.

Hermione scampered up the stairs that would lead her to the headmaster's office, she knocked and she waited for permission to enter.

When permission was granted she stepped into the office and halted upon seeing her head of house, Severus and various ministry workers all stood around. Every head was turned to stare at her and that was when she realised that something big had happened.

"What's going on?" She asked her head of house.

McGonagall approached her and gently placed her hand on her shoulder and patted her comfortingly.

"There has been a rather unfortunate accident concerning Arthur Weasley, Miss Granger" Dumbledore informed her.

She froze, something had happened to Arthur, everything was not alright.

"Is he alright?" Hermione asked, she was dreading that Dumbledore was about to give her some damning news and she held her breath.

"He had been attacked whilst on his guard duty, he is currently in St Mungo's but is expected to make a full recovery in time. The Weasley children have all been excused for the last three weeks of term and have been sent home" Dumbledore explained.

So that's where Ron had been, she felt a little guilty that she had been cursing Ron's name all morning for not showing up to class. But that didn't explain Harry.

"What about Harry?" She asked.

"Harry has also gone with them, he was sent off with Kingsley Shacklebolt about twenty minutes ago to catch up with the rest of the Weasley's. He has also been excused for the rest of term and they've all been given permission to begin their Christmas break early" Dumbledore said.

"May I see Mr Weasley?" Hermione asked, she looked to Arthur as a father figure with her own parents hidden away, she loved him just as much. She had always admired Arthur, she just wanted to see that he was alright.

"No" Dumbledore stated firmly.

Hermione stared at him with a slight look of disbelief, then she set her face back to neutral as the momentary shock wore off. To be honest, she was expecting that. Why would Dumbledore ever do anything that she asked of him?

Hermione sighed and folded her arms.

"I'm sorry Miss Granger but I feel that you would be in the way. Mr Weasley needs his family around him right now and we wouldn't want you intruding on that. After all you are not a member of the Weasley family are you?" Dumbledore secretly glared at her, letting the girl know that she should stop meddling; she wasn't needed so she should go away.

"Harry's not a family member either" Hermione said, her voice cold.

"Harry is a bit different, the young master Weasley required that he needed the support of his closest confidant, so in Harry's case I made and exception" Dumbledore told her.

"Can you make an exception for me?" She asked him, practically begging him to let her go.

"No Miss Granger, they didn't request you, nor have they asked for you. If they do then by all means you will have permission but until then. You will have to wait for Christmas" Dumbledore stated firmly.

Hermione nodded and angrily left the room. She blindly walked through the silent corridors of Hogwarts allowing her feet to take her where they wanted her to go. She finally noticed that she had stopped walking and had begun shaking. She looked up and realised she was stood outside the hidden entrance to Severus' personal rooms. She took a look around making sure that she hadn't been seen and she said the password and was granted access to Severus' rooms.

Hermione made her way to Severus' bedroom and took off her clothes and found one of Severus' old shirts lying on the floor and she put it on and got into Severus' bed.

The shaking had seemed to have subsided and all that nervous energy was now coming out in the form of tears. Hermione was so worried for Arthur that she had begun sobbing, slowly exhausting herself. She lay for ages thinking about Arthur and his family and hoping that they were all being supportive of one another and helping each other. She began to drift off to thoughts of Arthur, praying that he would recover.

After Hermione had left the headmasters office, Minerva looked at Albus.

"There was no need to be quite so blunt with her Albus" Minerva chastised the older man.

"I don't have time for this Minerva. The girl doesn't have permission to leave the castle, the Weasley's haven't requested a need for her presence and I dare say that we do not want to overwhelm Arthur or his recovery. I fear Miss Granger would just be in the way. Like I told her" Dumbledore stuck to his views on the matter.

Minerva hated to admit it but she agreed, the Weasley's were a large clan as it was and there was nothing that Hermione could really do at this point. Minerva also agreed with Hermione in the sense that Harry didn't really need to go. It was just dangerous for the boy to be out of the castle by any means.

"Has Molly agreed to look after Potter at the Burrow?" She queried.

"They will be going back to Grimmauld Place, it is safer for Arthur and his family, the house is hidden, they will be staying there for the whole Christmas holidays. They will all be safe staying there" Dumbledore explained.

"That's what you said last time" Severus quipped from the corner of the room.

Both Minerva and Albus looked around sharply at the man they had forgotten all about.

"You forget headmaster that Grimmauld Place has not been up to its full standard of 'safe house', are you sure your golden boy and his surrogate 'family' will be safe there? Can you guarantee it?" Severus said darkly.

"Yes Severus, I can assure you that place is safe" Dumbledore stated.

"And should Miss Granger wish to see her friends for Christmas and visit Mr Weasley to wish him well?" Severus questioned.

"She is more than welcome to visit them when the school term ends" Albus said.

"And you expect her to just willingly accept that if she wants to have company and 'jolly' Christmas that she has to go and stay in the same house, the same room as she did in the summer" Severus stated nearly in outrage.

"If she wants to have a merry Christmas Severus, she will have no choice but to do just that" Albus concluded, showing that the case was closed and no more would be said on the matter.

Severus chuckled darkly.

"It seems that whenever Grimmauld Place is involved, Miss Granger will never have a choice" Severus smiled cynically at the headmaster.

Albus and Minerva were silent as they stared at the vexed potions master.

Severus huffed and left the room, he need a good cup of tea before afternoon classes begun.

He went into his lounge and sat in his chair by the fire. He sat thinking about the previous night and how he had been summoned from his bed to the headmaster's office just after midnight.

He had walked into the headmaster's office and was confronted with an angry Potter, he was shouting at the headmaster and was pale and covered in sweat. The boy had clearly been having nightmares again.

Albus had told Severus about what had happened and the Weasley children had been sent off via port key to be by their father's side. Severus had promised that he would help with the potion that would help Arthur recover. Albus had then hinted at the possibility that the boy needed to be able to defend his mind. Severus had almost thrown a fit right there.

Severus could just imagine what occlumency with the boy would be like, Potter would have to be probably dragged down to his dungeons, he was sure the boy would not come willingly and then the lesson would begin. Severus wouldn't be surprised if the boys mind was like an open book, the teenage emotions and hormones would be running rampant in the boys mind and he would have no control whatsoever. This process would be tough, but Potter's thoughts needed to be protected, especially if the dark lord could easily access them.

Turning back to the present, Severus was worried about Hermione. She had clearly been upset and distressed and had clearly been worried at the fact that her two best friends had supposedly disappeared into thin air. Severus had wanted to run after her as she fled the headmaster's office but he had just about managed to keep his emotions in check.

Severus knew he wouldn't know where to find her anyway. He had wanted to find her but she could have been outside, in the library, the astronomy tower, the-

She was here. Severus froze and for the first time sensed something different about his rooms. He stood up and headed towards his bedroom.

He stood in the doorway and relaxed. There she was, asleep amongst his bedcovers in what was clearly one of his old shirts and a pile of school uniform next to the bed. Severus could see the dry tear stained cheeks and went and sat gently in the bed next to her sleeping form. He gently stroked her head, brushing a few pieces of loose hair from her face and breathed a sigh of relief.

She was alright and he would let her sleep. He would be there when she woke up so that he could talk to her. Hermione was the type to bottle up her emotions and hide away and let them out all on her own. But Severus wanted to be there for her, to lessen all her burdens. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved.

Severus only had two afternoon classes thankfully and would he would be finished for the day by 3pm. He decided that Hermione would most likely sleep until then. He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and slowly got up and quietly left the room.

After two hours of classes, one small explosion and a near accidental mass murder incident, Severus was ready to go back to his rooms, put his feet up and read a novel however, the angry Scottish woman that was Minerva McGonagall halted him in his tracks.

"Hermione Granger has been unaccounted for since that meeting this morning" she informed him.

Severus nodded.

"She's sleeping" Severus said not offering up any more information.

Minerva's eyes widened slightly.

"She's in your rooms" the older witch managed to stutter out.

Severus shook his head in the negative and grinned like the Slytherin he was.

"She's in my bed" he smirked at the witch, teasing her, hoping that he would see the older witch produce a litter of kittens.

"WHAT?!" Minerva exclaimed.

"She was upset after this morning, she's clearly gone to my rooms. She had the password and the wards recognise and accept her and she was already in bed and asleep before I even left the headmasters office myself" Severus told Minerva.

Minerva just blinked at him and moved towards the classroom entrance to Severus' quarters.

"I'm coming for afternoon tea" Minerva said.

Severus growled, he just wanted to relax. He picked up all the papers he needed and locked the potions classroom door before allowing Minerva entrance to his rooms.

Upon entering the room the first thing Minerva did was look towards the bedroom. She noticed that the bedroom door was open and could clearly see a sleeping lion cub in the bed.

"Satisfied?" Severus questioned sarcastically.

"She seems awfully familiar with your rooms" Minerva stated whilst sipping tea that Severus had poured them both.

Severus and Minerva sat down and Severus just nodded at the older witch.

"Whenever she's upset or just wants an escape she comes here and I take full responsibility, I let her in and allow this to happen" Severus told the witch.

Minerva chuckled.

"I'm not condemning you Severus, I was just making a statement" Minerva grinned at him.

Severus gulped.

"Like I said, sometimes she just needs to be alone. At least I know she's safe in here" Severus said.

"Are you sure she doesn't come down here just to see you or be in your pleasant company?" Minerva asked him.

Severus snorted as if she had told him a really funny joke.

"Very funny Minerva! What next? Will pigs fly?" He asked.

"I was being serious" Minerva stated.

Severus was about to reply but a small whimper sounded throughout the room.

"No, no, no, no, no" a third voice cried out.

Severus was immediately on his feet knowing that this was the sound of Hermione Granger suffering a nightmare and made his way to the bedroom.

Hermione was clearly having a nightmare and she was tossing and turning between the sheets. Like Severus had done many months before, he removed the sheet that was obviously making her feel constricted and tried to get her to snap out of it.

Minerva stood in the doorway of the room assessing the scene.

Hermione was crying in her nightmare, whatever it was obviously felt very real to her.

Severus repeated her name over and over and eventually Hermione started to snap out of it. Without warning, she shot into an upright position and immediately locked her eyes with Severus.

That was enough for Hermione because she flung herself at his lap. She wrapped both her arms around his neck locking them in place as she sat on his lap and locked her legs around his hips and lower back. Her breathing was uneven and she was shaking.

"Hush, you're alright dear, sweet girl. Everything's alright" Severus tried to calm her.

He placed one hand on the centre of her back to support her and placed the other hand on the back of her head and he pulled her to him so that her head was tucked under his chin and he squeezed her tightly in reassurance.

Hermione's sniffling stopped shortly after and she felt Severus press a light kiss to her forehead. She moved back so that she could look into his eyes and she smiled at him.

"Thank you" she whispered.

"What have I said about thanking me? There is no need" he told her gently.

Hermione giggled and then blushed, she seemed to have finally realised that she was in just an oversized shirt and her knickers and was sat in a compromising position on Severus lap. She grinned devilishly up at him and teasingly rocked her hips against him.

Severus immediately gripped her hips and shook his head at her. She frowned at him, he never normally stopped this when she did it.

There was a clearing of a throat behind her and Hermione twisted her head towards the door to see her head of house looking at the compromising scene before her.

Hermione flushed and immediately shot off of Severus' lap and stood facing her head of house as if she was a child who had got caught stealing a biscuit before dinner.

Minerva looked at the pair sternly for a few moments before her face turned into one of amusement.

"So this is what you call making her feel safe" Minerva remarked trying not to laugh.

Hermione looked down at the floor secretly relieved that Minerva wasn't really mad at them. Hermione twisted her head to look at Severus' expression but found him staring at her, more specifically at her arse.

Hermione looked down and noticed that the back of the shirt had risen up whilst she had been restless during her nightmare, it meant that her arse was practically on full display to Severus.

All Hermione could think about was how thankful she was that it was only the back of the shirt that had risen and not the front. Had she been standing there fully showing off her knickers to her head of house, she would have been humiliated. But with it just being Severus, it was quite the turn on.

Severus was feeling the heat too; he had noticed Hermione's knicker covered rear on display as soon as she stood up. How could he not? It was right in front of his face.

It was taking all his self-control not to lean forward and kiss a bum cheek or even worse, lightly bite it. Severus snapped out of it and noticed that both the witches in the room were staring at him.

The older witch was shaking her head but didn't appear to be mad. And the younger witch was staring at him with daring eyes and sexily chewing her bottom lip.

Severus almost groaned and knew he had to stand up or he didn't know what he would do. As it was, he was thankful for his voluminous robes as a certain appendage had been extremely intrigued by the woman's lacy, black and Slytherin coloured backside. He cleared his throat.

Hermione knew that look and almost grinned mischievously at her love interest.

"You two need to be careful. You're lucky that I love the both of you and know that neither of you are out to hurt the other. I don't agree with this but you have my approval so long as it's discreet" Minerva stated.

The pair nodded at her and she knew then to make her leave. Minerva knew that Hermione would most likely need to talk about the nightmare and that she would only open up to Severus.

Minerva let herself out of Severus' rooms, leaving the two forbidden, star-crossed lovers to talk.

As she made her way towards her own rooms she found Albus Dumbledore walking near the great hall.

"Minerva, I understand Miss Granger hasn't been seen since this morning" Albus stated.

"Its fine Albus, she is in her dormitory sleeping. The emotions of this morning exhausted her, she will be fine" Minerva lied.

Albus looked at her for a moment before accepting what the older witch had told him and he headed towards his office.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Once again, thank you so much! Hope you enjoy this new chapter! :)**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Mentions of sexual assault, bad language and some sexual scenes**

 **Morning Fun, Christmas and a New Development**

"What are you planning on doing for Christmas?" Severus asked Hermione.

They were relaxing on Severus' bed the weekend before the Christmas holidays began. It had been a week since Minerva had called them out on their close 'friendship' and now that the holidays were near, they found themselves wanting to spend more time together.

The death eater meetings had stopped now until the holidays so Severus had a bit of free time again. Hermione was thankful for that.

It seemed that now Harry and Ron had left for the holidays, she had no one to talk to. Neville had become apparently infatuated with Luna and it was difficult to catch Draco alone without his cronies or other Slytherin's surrounding him. This meant it was difficult for them to see each other like they had done before.

This weekend was the Hogsmeade weekend and everyone had practically fled the castle to go and buy last minute Christmas presents. This meant that Hermione could spend the weekend with Severus as it would be less suspicious if she was unaccounted for.

"I don't know what to do for Christmas" she admitted to Severus.

"The Weasley's and Harry are at Grimmauld Place, I really can't be there Severus. But I don't want to be alone on Christmas, it's normally my favourite time of year but without my parents this year, I feel quite alone" she whispered.

"What about you Severus? What are your plans?" She asked him.

"I normally stay at the castle, I don't really have any family anymore. However, this Christmas Lucius Malfoy has invited me to his home, purely because the dark lord is there over Christmas and it is easier to be closer to him when we are summoned. The quicker we get to his meetings, the less likely it is to anger him. Also, Lucius has asked me to keep an eye on Draco, the dark lord wishes to speak with Draco over the holidays" Severus informed her.

She gasped.

"Poor Draco, what does the dark lord want with him?" She looked hurt for her friend and immediately the frown lines appeared on her forehead as she became concerned for Draco.

"We don't know, we think the dark lord is going to get Draco to take the dark mark but we are not certain but at least I can keep an eye on my godson" Severus stated as if it were his personal mission.

"That means you're not going to be here then?" Hermione asked him slightly sad but knew that he was better off at the Malfoy's for Draco's protection.

Severus sighed and held her close.

"Unfortunately not, I'm sorry Hermione. Are you staying here then?" He asked her.

Hermione nodded.

"I don't think I have a choice, I refuse to go to Grimmauld if you're not going to be there. I have nowhere else to go, I guess a Christmas at the castle for it is" she told him.

Severus was still staring at her.

"There is an order meeting on December 27th, I'm sure if you ask you can come to Grimmauld Place just for the duration of the meeting. That way you wouldn't be in the house that long, you would get to see your friends, I would be there and Black would be with the order as part of the meeting so you won't be alone with him at any point. I'm sure Remus and Minerva wouldn't allow it anyway. I know I certainly wouldn't" Severus told her.

Hermione brightened a little.

"That's a good idea Severus!" She exclaimed giggling. That meant she would get to see Severus at Christmas too. That was better than nothing.

"Do you know who else is staying here for Christmas this year?" She asked him, she knew there were never normally that many and with Umbridge around she expected that the number would be very limited indeed.

"Well I know there are barely any Slytherin's, looking at the sheet of parchment the other day it looks as if there are only five students from my whole house staying here. I think a lot of the Slytherin parents want their children home because of the dark lord being around" Severus told her.

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. There are really going to be barely any students here.

"What about teachers?" She asked.

"Normally all teachers who have families go home, others go away for a few days to visit friends and then come back, some may be gone longer but they tend to travel back and forth between the school and their relatives homes" Severus informed her.

I'm looking forward to the break, I'm also looking forward to a quiet castle I guess" she told him.

"It is rather peaceful and beautiful here at Christmastime" Severus agreed with her.

"Well I guess that's Christmas sorted then, I don't know why I was so worried about being here for" she smiled.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright here? I can always cancel the Malfoy's invitation and stay here with you instead" he asked.

Hermione shook her head at him.

"Don't you dare, you said yourself that you were there for Draco, if Draco is going to need you then don't you dare stay here. He is much more important and is going to need you more than I do this holiday. Please! Be with him" she begged him, the thought of him being here with her warmed her heart but the thought that Draco could be all alone and frightened to death upset her even more.

No, Draco needed Severus and that was how it would stay.

"Alright, alright. Yes, he is probably going to need someone this holiday and I think I'm the only person who will be able to be there for him without causing further trouble" Severus replied, he was so happy that Draco and Hermione had become friends.

If anyone was going to be able to protect Draco more than he could, it would be Hermione. She was brutal when it came to protecting her friends and he knew that she would throw herself into danger for her friends. Severus also knew that all Draco would have to do would be to say the words and Hermione would be by his side.

Severus felt an overwhelming about of joy at the thought and absentmindedly leaned in to kiss Hermione on the cheek.

"Thank you" he said.

They gazed into each other's eyes and without warning, Hermione pulled Severus to her, and she began to kiss him deeply.

They kissed like that for some time before Hermione began to push Severus back on his bed so that she was on top of him. She could feel every muscle and every inch of his body pressed against hers and she felt like she was home.

Hermione straddled Severus' hips so that she was positioned directly against his cock. Both Severus and Hermione groaned at the feeling, at the friction.

"Merlin!" Severus growled.

Hermione chuckled.

"Not quite, call me Hermione" she whispered seductively in his ear.

"Minx" he yelled as she hit a particularly sensitive spot on his groin, his hips naturally bucked up to meet hers and it was like someone had set fire to the room. The heat increased and both of them wanted something more.

"Oh God" Hermione groaned.

"Call me Severus" Severus smirked, even in the heat of the moment he was able to level up and that satisfied smirk turned Hermione on even more.

Severus' erection looked painfully strained against his trousers and Hermione took off his belt and unzipped his trousers in hopes that he could have a little relief.

Severus sighed as the pressure eased a little and went from painful to a comfortable pleasure. He got so caught up in the sensations that he barely registered that Hermione had begun to ride against him.

Severus opened his eyes and saw and felt what Hermione was doing to him. He placed his hands on her hips and began to rub against her, meeting her thrusts.

This was the most sexually active that Hermione had been since her assault and she was enjoying it, she was actually wanting to put the effort into this activity. She felt comfortable doing this with clothes on but she wasn't sure she was ready for no clothing.

She could handle this, she was enjoying this.

"Uh, uh Severus" Hermione moaned as she felt her knickers become saturated with her own juices and she began to pulsate.

Severus was just as close and held onto her hips even tighter, if that were possible, and could feel the tip of his dick begin to weep.

They were both close, Severus could tell, he wasn't sure if Hermione realised but he knew what was going to happen soon and he would be a damned man if he had his final pleasure first.

He rocked against her, changing the motion of his hips and hitting new spots and different angles.

This did it for Hermione, she felt her inner muscles tighten and throb and then there was a blinding release, where she couldn't feel anything but intense pleasure, she was so far gone that her mind was clear, she had no thoughts at all.

She also didn't see the way that Severus was also thrown over the edge as he felt the heat emitting from her nether regions, both of them rode out their orgasms before collapsing and snuggling up on the bed.

Both of them were drenched, in both their own sweat and secretions, the both of them were in complete bliss.

After they were able to grasp reality again, Severus turned to Hermione.

"Was that alright? I never even asked. Are you alright?" He asked her.

She grinned and reached a hand out to stroke his cheek.

"I'm wonderful" she told him.

"If I wasn't alright, I would've said something" she promised him.

He nodded and accepted her words and they held each other closely, not saying anything at all.

This was to be the last time they would see each other before the Christmas holidays came.

After everyone left for the Christmas holidays, Hermione found out that there were only about seventeen students staying at Hogwarts and only five teachers, even then the teachers would rotate on who would watch the students.

There were only three Gryffindor's staying, herself and some twins from first year, at least they had each other.

Hermione didn't see anyone in the days that led up to Christmas, nor did she receive any letters from Ron or Harry, to fill her in on what had been happening.

She had written to Molly in hopes of seeing how Arthur was but she had no reply.

On Christmas morning, Hermione had woken up to an empty dormitory, it was silent. She had no reason to get up so she turned over and went back to sleep for a couple of hours.

It was late morning when she finally got up and she went and sat in the common room with a book, she sat by the fire and read there for hours.

She had been invited by Minerva for a small Christmas supper in the great hall. Hermione felt that it would be selfish and impolite for her not to attend so she made herself presentable and made her way to the great hall.

When she arrived, there were only six places set. It seemed that the other students were meeting friends and family for the day and so there was no one left but herself and the five Slytherin's Severus had mentioned.

The entire meal, the Slytherin's just glared at her when Minerva wasn't looking at made vulgar gestures in her direction. It was rather miserable.

Once the meal was over, the Slytherin's excused themselves and headed back towards the dungeons.

Hermione made her move to leave.

"Just a moment Miss Granger" Minerva said.

Hermione looked up at her head of house and waited patiently.

"Yes Professor?" She asked.

"Professor Snape informed me that you were interested in seeing your friends the day after tomorrow?" Minerva asked her.

Hermione nodded, yes she had agreed that it was a favourable idea.

"Excellent, you will come to my office at 11am on the morning of the 27th and we shall proceed to join your friends by floo. Is that acceptable dear?" Minerva asked her.

"Yes Professor" Hermione said enthusiastically, she really was looking forward to seeing her friends, Severus and Arthur.

Minerva grinned at the girl.

"Excellent, I will see you then" Minerva uttered and Hermione once again made her move to leave but she was called back once more.

"One more thing dear, Merry Christmas" Minerva smiled as she took a package out of the pocket of her robes and handed it to Hermione.

"Thank you" Hermione said gratefully, this was the first gift she had received and she was excited about it.

Hermione practically ran to her dormitory to open her gift. Inside, were maybe thirty or more coins. They were blank, clearly had no value. Hermione wondered what on earth they were and why she had been given them, and then she found the small card that had been attached to the package.

"The greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places"  
\- Roald Dahl, 1964 (Muggle Author)

Hermione frowned at the card and thought about what it meant. There was no way McGonagall would give her this and it mean nothing. Hermione took all the coins out of the parcel and she found a small piece of paper folded up with two words written on it:

 _'Protean Charm'_

Hermione was now more confused than ever. She had read about the Protean Charm and she knew that it was a NEWT level charm and that it linked objects together.

Why had McGonagall given this to her?

Hermione sat for a while and tried to riddle it out.

"Right Hermione, what do you know about the charm?" She questioned herself.

"It links objects together, that's fine but what has that got to do with the coins? Why would she want be to link the coins together? Why so many" Hermione's head was beginning to hurt, she was tired and she decided to call it a night. She would have all day tomorrow to riddle it out after all.

She lay down on her bed and went to sleep.

Hermione awoke the following morning to an owl tapping wildly at the window. She immediately got up and let the owl in, it dropped a letter and another parcel onto her bed and then looked at her expectantly.

Hermione looked around and found some crackers that she had been munching on Christmas Eve, they were slightly stale now but would satisfy the owl. She fed the owl and it quickly left through the window.

She immediately went to the package and opened the note.

 _My dearest lady,_

Forgive me for this belated gift, I felt as though it would be safer to send you this today. I hope you like it, I saw it and thought of you. Hope your holiday has been peaceful and enjoyable and I will see you soon.

Yours

S.S

Hermione's heart skipped a beat; he had got her a present! She was happy and dancing around through the dormitory.

She wondered if Severus had found the gift that she had slipped in with his belongings whilst he had been preparing for his stay at the Malfoy's.

She giggled as she imagined him with a shocked and perplexed look on his face. She opened her gift and she gasped.

She was looking at two beautiful pieces of jewellery. One was a pendant and one was a ring, the pendant had an animal figurine holding her birthstone the sapphire and the ring was just as beautiful and it fit perfectly on her index finger.

She sighed, she wanted to thank Severus for his gift but knew it would be too risky sending him a note if he was near the dark lord, if the note was intercepted he could be in trouble as could Draco and it would be all her fault.

She shook her head.

'If only there was a way I could send him a secret message, like those two wizards had done with their diaries' Hermione thought to herself.

She had always been fascinated by that story that she had been taught in her history of magic class. It was a story where two wizards had been forbidden from having any communication with each other so they linked their two diaries together and could send each other secret messages. Hermione had always loved the story, two people kept apart by circumstance but willing to fight back anyway.

It's like McGonagall had said in her note. Secrets are hidden in unlikely places.

Hermione froze, her mind started spinning at a hundred miles an hour and she shot to her bedside table and picked up Minerva's gift. Thirty coins, there were about that many in the DA, the protean charm links them.

What if she could somehow link all the coins together with that charm and send out messages to the rest of the group. That way no one takes risks, they can use the coin to directly and secretly send a message and no one would question it because it looks like a galleon.

Hermione was buzzing with excitement. She finally felt like she was doing something practical for the first time this holiday. For the rest of the day, she worked on perfecting and charming the coins.

The following day, Hermione went to Minerva's office just before 11am, Hermione was excited and she double checked that she had all her gifts for her friends.

Minerva let her enter and together the two of them flooed to Grimmauld Place.

Once she arrived and was practically spat out of the fireplace she immediately went cold. She was back here, she hadn't been here since she had been assaulted. This place seemed unfamiliar somehow, like death was trying to shake hands with her. She shivered and Minerva placed her hand on the girls shoulder for support. Minerva had guessed what she was thinking.

"Hermione dear! How wonderful to see you!" Molly exclaimed bustling over the give Hermione the biggest hug.

"Molly!" Hermione exclaimed, thrilled to see the Weasley matriarch.

"How are you? How is Arthur? I wanted to see him but I wasn't allowed. Please tell me he is alright?" Hermione asked.

Molly smiled at the girl, she always had her priorities right. Molly knew that Hermione would one day make a good match for Ron.

"Arthur is fine dear. You may see him, come and follow me" Molly insisted.

She led Hermione to the kitchen and there was Arthur, he was beaten and bruised and currently in a wheelchair but he was smiling and his eyes were shining. Hermione felt tears well up in her eyes, she was so happy that Arthur was alright.

"Arthur!" She exclaimed, rushing towards him and ignoring the presence of everyone else on the room.

"Hello Hermione!" He said to her, grinning impishly.

Hermione delicately hugged Arthur and told him that she was glad that he was alright. Arthur laughed and reached up to wipe the tears that had begun making their way down her cheeks.

Hermione then addressed the rest of the room. Most of the order was already there including Severus and Remus. She smiled at them both, Remus responded with an awkward wave whilst Severus just gave her a nod of acknowledgement and a sly smile when he noticed that she was wearing his gifts.

"Wotcha Hermione! The meeting is about to begin, if you go into the main room at the front of the house, you will find your friends" Tonks informed her.

"Thank you Tonks" Hermione said cheerfully and she made her way towards the front room.

Upon entering the room, she was immediately attacked with hugs from Harry and Ron, who were apologising for not writing and wishing her a merry Christmas. Hermione chuckled, the boys would never change.

They exchanged gifts and caught up on what had been happening. About an hour later they were still talking when suddenly there was some shouting coming from the kitchen and some loud noises.

"What the hell was that?" Ron asked.

"I wonder what is going on" Harry muttered.

Hermione was thinking the same thing.

A few minutes passed in silence before the sound of the kitchen door being opened could be heard and footsteps sounded down the hallway.

Seconds later Severus Snape appeared in the lounge doorway.

"Miss Granger, I am to escort you back to Hogwarts" he told her.

Hermione nodded, she knew something had happened and she wanted to know what was going on.

"She's not going anywhere with you" the voice of Ron boldly stated across the room.

Severus paused mid stride and turned to face Ron.

"Believe me Mr Weasley, I am the best thing for her right now" Severus told them.

Hermione gulped, now she was really nervous.

Hermione bid her friends goodbye and reached the fireplace with Severus, they flooed back to Hogwarts and into Severus' chambers.

"Severus? What's happened?" She asked him worriedly as soon as they both gained their footing.

He stared at her for a moment before he went over to her and sat her down on the sofa whilst holding her close.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I'm so, so sorry" he whispered to her.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34 – An Order Meeting, News and a Death Eater Meeting

Hermione woke up in Severus' bed, it was where she had been for the last three days now. Severus had been sat by her side, worried half to death about her. She had not been eating or drinking and Madame Pompfrey and Severus had to administer nutrition through potions and the muggle way, through her bloodstream in order to keep her nourished and hydrated.

Severus had been dividing his time between Hermione and the Malfoy's.

Severus thought back to the Order meeting that had been called and the events that had happened between them and now.

He reflected on how he had been aware that Minerva had been bringing Hermione to visit her friends and how uplifted he had felt in the knowledge that he was going to see her again.

After he, Minerva and Remus had arrived at Grimmauld Place, they shared a look at each other. They had known that Sirius was going to be addressed about his general reckless behaviour and couldn't wait to have a go at him.

Once everyone had sat down for the meeting Alastor Moody addressed the Order.

"Hope everyone's enjoying their break, however, we need to get some things sorted out. There have been some recent attacks and fatalities in the last few days which shall be discussed shortly. But first, Black, we need to have a few words with you".

Every head swivelled to look at Sirius Black, who was sat with one eyebrow arched waiting for Moody to continue.

"Now Black, there have been some complaints from Order members about your vile behaviour. The only reason you're not back in Azkaban is because Dumbledore insists you are crucial to the Order and to the downfall of the Dark Lord. However, you foolishly leaving the safe house, getting drunk and carrying on with unsavoury women has reached a critical point" Moody paused for breath allowing the words to sink in.

Sirius had looked slightly shocked that he was receiving a dressing down but other than that he kept up a neutral demeanour.

"Oh come on Moody, even you have to admit that a man has needs" Sirius said, disbelief starting to show across his features.

"Well, your behaviour has caused concern and you shall be confined to the house and unable to leave, I'm sure we can find some magazines to provide you with some...entertainment" Moody replied.

Sirius' mouth was hung open. There was no way that the Order could do this to him. He had pouted like a child and folded his arms with a huff.

"You cannot do that" he snarled.

"Yes we can" Moody said slowly and in a low and dangerous voice.

Sirius looked around for help but realised that most of the room clearly agreed with Moody. Sirius glanced at Dumbledore.

"Albus, please, you cannot allow them to confine me to this house. I shall go mad" Sirius pleaded.

Dumbledore raised his hand up for silence.

"I'm afraid, Sirius, that I agree with them. This is for your own safety and Harry needs you, if anything were to happen to you it would make Harry blind and reckless to the war and it is likely he would be killed. We cannot take that risk Sirius" Dumbledore implored.

Sirius was angry and had started sulking in his seat, he refused to contribute and listen to the rest of the meeting, until he heard something of interest. He listened in on the meeting again, focusing back on Dumbledore.

"Unfortunately, there have been attacks on some of our more death eater attacks on some of the more obvious safe houses of the Order" Dumbledore began solemnly.

"I was informed by Severus that this was going to be taking place however, we were unable to defend and move the safe houses in time. Unfortunately they have been ransacked, pilfered and destroyed" Dumbledore continued.

"Merlin! Were there any casualties?" Tonks gasped, uncomprehending what she was hearing.

Severus glanced at the headmaster. He hadn't been informed by the death eaters if there were any casualties; he just knew that attacks were going to happen.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Unfortunately there have been two casualties. The parents of Hermione Granger unfortunately perished at the hands of the death eater attack" Dumbledore concluded.

There was silence; you could hear a pin drop.

"WHAT?!" Severus had exclaimed as he stood up, his heart was racing.

No, there was no way that Dumbledore was telling the truth. It couldn't be true, Severus knew that this would destroy his Hermione and he didn't know what he could do to make it better.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Their bodies have been handed over to the muggle authorities" he said.

Minerva had a hand up to her mouth, trying to fight a sob of pain that she knew her lion cub would soon be in. Molly and Tonks looked disheartened at the news. The poor girl. Remus looked absolutely crushed, he knew Hermione had already been through so much in the last few months and he was sure that this would send her over the edge.

Moody cleared his throat.

"Unfortunately, we are at war and death is part of it. It is sad but most likely unavoidable; they are what we call collateral damage." Moody stated.

"Bullshit! They are her parents, they are therefore not collateral damage, how dare you be so insensitive you stupid man" Minerva shrieked at Moody.

Moody had the good grace to back down before he received a nasty hex.

"I disagree Minerva, they were just two muggles caught in the crossfire, it happens in war. Besides, Hermione probably was too busy having a relationship with her books than her parents. She probably won't be too cut up about it" Sirius stated from where he was sat.

Incensed, Severus lunged for Sirius.

"I fucked up your face once and I will take pleasure in doing it again" Severus yelled as he started throwing punches at Black's face while the two men were rolling around on the floor.

No one knew exactly what to do, Tonks had looked at Remus like she half expected him to defend his best friend but when Remus made no move to help, Tonks looked at him  
astounded.

Moody eventually snapped out of his shock and pulled out his wand.

"ENOUGH!" He roared as he sent a spell to separate the pair.

Once separated, the two men glared at each other.

"Snape, you are dismissed from this meeting. Go find Granger and take her back to the castle and tell her what she needs to know" Moody glared at Severus.

Severus nodded and left the room before he found himself with a first class ticket to Azkaban.

Back in the meeting room everyone was silent and still looking at Sirius as he dusted himself off.

"Thanks for the help Moony" he said sarcastically to Remus.

Remus gritted his teeth.

"That wasn't even half of what you deserve and you know it! How could you Sirius?" Remus yelled at Sirius.

Sirius' expression looked bewildered and then something else happened, realisation set in and he looked at Remus and paled. Remus knew what he had done to Hermione Granger so many months before, which meant that Sirius was now in Remus' pocket. If he didn't keep Remus sweet, he was fucked.

"R-Remus, now, calm down" Sirius stammered as the werewolf took a few steps towards him.

Meanwhile Severus had collected Hermione and had sat her down in his rooms.

"Sweetie, I'm afraid there has been a rather unfortunate incident" Severus began, he was talking to her gently and holding her closely and it was terrifying Hermione. She was really worried now.

"Severus, please tell me what is wrong, what's happened?" She had asked him.

Severus took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes.

"Hermione, there was a death eater attack a few days ago and it appears there were some fatalities" he said pausing to let her absorb the information a little bit at a time.

She looked alarmed at the information.

"That's awful and people died? Is it someone from the Order" Hermione asked worriedly.

This was the hard part. Severus shook his head at her.

"No darling, the death eaters found the safe house where your parents were placed. They didn't make it, they're gone, I'm so sorry Hermione" Severus told her waiting for her to breakdown, he was more than prepared to be what she needed.

But she didn't breakdown, in fact, the correct way of putting it was that she just simply shutdown. There was nothing, her face, her eyes, her body, was just void of any emotion and any feeling. What scared Severus was that he couldn't even tell what was going through her mind and he didn't dare try to peek into her mind in fear that he would damage her mental state even more.

It was clear that Hermione was completely catatonic. She just sat and stared, not moving, it didn't even look like she was breathing.

Severus was at a loss of what to do, he eventually decided the best course of action would be to put her to bed, so he picked her up in his arms and carried her towards his bedroom. He made a mental note of how light she had become and vowed to make her eat a more substantial meal. He lightly deposited her on the bed and gently removed her shoes and brushed her hair away from her face with his fingers.

He placed the cover over her and just waited and watched her; he wasn't exactly sure what reaction he was expecting from her. A short while later he heard his floo flare and he poked his head out of his bedroom to see who it was.

Minerva, Poppy and Dumbledore were headed towards him and they entered the bedroom. The four of them stared down at the girl who was still wide awake and hadn't moved an inch since Severus had placed her there.

"The poor girl, Poppy you will stay and assess her mental health every few hours. Minerva, you will stay here as a supportive figure to Miss Granger should she need it and Severus- what is the girl doing in your rooms? In your bed?" Dumbledore asked.

Severus stared at the headmaster.

"I was told to bring her back to the castle and tell her what had happened. I flooed straight in here and told her, the girl has been in that state ever since. I certainly couldn't turn her away from my rooms even if I had wanted to, I didn't know what else to do" Severus informed the headmaster.

The headmaster looked at Severus contemplating Severus' response. Dumbledore knew there was more to the story.

"And that's why Miss Granger seems so comfortable in these quarters as if they were familiar to her?" Dumbledore questioned.

Severus was about to answer when Minerva stepped in.

"Now is not the time Albus, go away and do whatever it is you need to be doing. We can handle Miss Granger" Minerva told him.

Dumbledore looked slightly affronted that Minerva was giving him orders but decided to leave the subject alone, he knew how stubborn Minerva could be and he had too much to do than to sit around and argue with her.

The headmaster nodded and turned on his heel and left.

Poppy immediately set about casting diagnostic spells to make sure Hermione's heart rate and pulse were fine; she also checked her blood pressure. After that the three adults just stood around in the bedroom not entirely sure what to do.

After a few minutes, Hermione suddenly turned to lie on her side, she moved over so she was only taking up half the space and left the covers peeled back slightly, she was staring up at Severus with what appeared to be a pleading expression ion her face.

"It looks like she wants you with her" Poppy stated the obvious.

Severus sighed, he was embarrassed that this was taking place in front of his former schoolteacher and healer and his now colleagues but he knew he couldn't resist Hermione's demands when she looked so lost and broken.

He took off his shoes and his cloak and quickly transfigured his trousers into a pair of comfy sleeping bottoms and he divested his shirt and climbed into his bed next to Hermione. As soon as he had pulled the covers over himself, Hermione moved closer to him and laid so that her head lay on his chest and one of her legs stretched over one of his thighs and rested between his legs and with that she went to sleep as Severus held her.

Minerva and Poppy looked at the pair and then glanced at each other and smiled, they secretly shared a glance that agreed they were no longer needed and so they turned to leave.

Severus looked at them and went to open his mouth.

"Don't worry Severus, we realise that you will need to get back to the Malfoy's in the morning, we shall come back first thing to take care of her" Minerva promised.

Severus smiled gratefully and watched as the two older witches left and then he turned to his Hermione.

'I don't think things could get any worse' he thought to himself as he to succumb to sleep.

All Severus knew next was he was being shaken awake. He opened his eyes to find the two older witches staring down at him. They had come back as promised. He got up and began to prepare to head back to the Malfoy's; he hoped that Hermione would wake before he had to leave so he could see if she was alright. Alas, she didn't stir and Severus had to leave before his absence was noticed, he told the older witches that they were welcome to stay in his rooms as long as Hermione was being cared for and with one last glance at Hermione, he left to head back to the death eaters.

Severus entered the gates at Malfoy manor and knew that the Dark Lord would be expecting him and a full report of the Order meeting from the previous day.

He walked into the drawing room and found Lucius and other high ranking members of the clan sat around the table awaiting the Dark Lord's entrance. Severus had made it just in time, as he took his place at the table the Dark Lord swept into the room and took his usual seat at the head of the table.

"Ah Severus, you are back. Any news for me and your brothers?" the Dark Lord asked.

"Dumbledore has made no plans in terms of upping security or protection, which means that he still doesn't see you as a potential threat. The only thing that was really discussed was the attacks on the minor safe houses, my Lord" Severus informed his dark master, having already discussed this answer with Albus.

"That is good, we are not yet ready for a full scale attack but it is good that the old fool does not see us as a threat. Although I prefer to execute with a more dramatic flair, it is advantageous for us that he is keeping his security to a minimum. I suppose that ministry worker is not making things easier for that farce of a school?" the Dark Lord chuckled at the thought.

"Quite, my Lord. The headmasters focus is on her at the moment rather than you, which I hope you forgive me saying so, but it's a good thing, my Lord" Severus said.

"Yes Severus, I am inclined to agree with you. Has that mudblood friend of Potter's been informed about the demise of her parents?" the Dark Lord asked gleefully.

Severus nodded.

"She has and I dare say that she was in quite a state when I left this morning, a catatonic state that is" he drawled.

The Dark Lord chuckled darkly, the mere imagery amusing him.

"Excellent, now without her in the mix, Potter will be like a lost sheep and with the Weasley boy more focused on his injured father, Potter and his 'golden trio' have practically fallen apart" the Dark Lord was now sinisterly laughing, along with the other death eaters.

"This has put me in such a good mood Severus, thank you dear friend. Now, I must be going but Severus, I hope you enjoy the rest of your break, I will not be calling another meeting before term resumes" he said as he swept back out of the room.

That had all happened three days ago now and the events were still playing in Severus' mind. He was worried about Hermione, who still hadn't snapped out of her state, she hadn't even spoken yet, it was slightly unnerving.

It had also been three days since the last death eater meeting and Severus had just received a message from Lucius, inviting him back to the manor for a drink and a chat. Severus figured that if he left now, it was only early afternoon; he could be back by early evening and spend the night trying to coax his Hermione back to reality.

He sighed as he prepared himself for an afternoon at the Malfoy's and once he was ready he stopped and took one last look at Hermione; she was awake and staring at absolutely nothing. The lights were on but no one was home. He went over and placed a light kiss on her cheek and stoked her hair away from her face.

"I promise I won't be long" he told her although he doubted that she could hear him.

He grabbed a jar off the side to take to the Malfoy's with him and headed for the manor.

Once there, he made his way to Lucius' study and knocked, once given permission, Severus entered and Lucius offered him a seat by the fire. Lucius poured a drink for the both of them and had opened his mouth to talk when Draco walked in the room.

"Hello godfather" Draco said, bowing in respect to the two older gentlemen in the room.

"Good afternoon Draco, how are you today" Severus asked in return.

"I'm alright, thank you for asking" Draco said monotonous, as if it was a rehearsed speech of etiquette that had been drilled into his head from the day he was born.

Draco was asked to join his father and godfather and was also poured a strong alcoholic drink. Draco took a gulp and started to relax in his seat.

"How is it Draco?" Severus asked pointedly.

Draco grimaced and pulled his left sleeve up to his elbow.

"It still burns" he said looking grimly looking at the dark mark that he had been forced to take a week earlier.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Hi all, cannot believe we are on Chapter 35 already! This is the longest Chapter I have written for this story so far. I promise that everything starts to unravel soon in regards to Sirius, just stick with me :) Thank you for your reviews, comments and for anyone who reads this story! Chapter Warnings: Potential mentions of sexual assault, self harm, sex, violence and bad language.**

Chapter 35 – Draco, School Resumes and a Sexy Encounter

Draco Malfoy sat on his bed in his family home and proceeded to work on some breathing exercises, the day after he returned to the manor for the Christmas holidays, he had been practically dragged from his bed and thrown on his knees in front of the Dark Lord and had been forced to take the dark mark.

"There are some things that I want done Draco, only you can do them. They must be done within the walls of Hogwarts and I trust no one more than you. After all, your father has been a crucial member of my inner circle and I know you will do just as well for the cause. Fail to do so and you shall suffer the consequences" the Dark Lord had informed him.

Draco had been miserable ever since, he had closed in on himself and refused to come out of his room for anything, not even food. Luckily, the house elves were astute enough to bring him what he needed.

His mark had been burning ever since, it wasn't the type of burning that occurred when the Dark Lord called his followers, no that was a pain that couldn't be ignored. This burning was a constant sensation that was more of a nuisance but it served its purpose, to remind you that you were the property of someone else, that you served someone else. It served to be a constant reminder to be loyal.

Severus had been giving him jars of salve that alleviate the burning sensation but every time Draco looked down at his forearm, there it was, a hideous black snake and skull. The Dark Lord had promised that Draco would be initiated at midnight, the turn of a new year. Draco would be given his task, a task that his godfather had warned him would be dangerous, immoral and something that he would likely be unable to achieve.

But, that was just another test, another game his master liked to play. Give an impossible task and then the individual would choose either to do the task or die. It was ingenious in a way, prove your loyalty or die. Draco didn't know what to do and he realised he only had a few hours until midnight, a few hours until he would have to fully submit himself in front of his new brothers as a death eater.

Draco sat in the middle of his bed whilst practicing some breathing exercises; these would be the last hours he would ever have as a free man.

Meanwhile, Severus, Minerva and Poppy had managed to get through to Hermione. Well, she was sat up and eating and drinking by herself. Although, she still wasn't talking or fully functioning, they would take the small victory of her eating and drinking again.

Severus was also worried about his godson, he knew that tonight would be the night that Draco was to be officially initiated and he doubted the boy would live to see summer; he wasn't cut out for the dark arts.

Severus left Hermione in the care of Minerva once more and apparated to the Malfoy Manor in time for the Dark Lords arrival.

"My dear followers, tonight we shall welcome a new member into our ranks. Will you please welcome Master Draco Malfoy" the Dark Lord announced as the doors opened to reveal Draco walking in, flanked by his father.

"Draco, kneel before me" the Dark Lord instructed him.

Draco did as instructed.

"Draco, do you agree to fulfil a lifetime of servitude, to acquiesce to my every command, to come at my beck and call, to remain loyal to the cause and above all, to complete everything I order you to or die?" he asked.

Severus held his breath; the initiation speech had changed a little since he took his own mark. But desperate times call for desperate measures, in the eyes of the Dark Lord.

"I do, my Lord" Draco said, pledging his allegiance.

"Then I officially welcome you to the brotherhood Draco. Now, we are to discuss your task" the Dark Lord grinned.

Hermione woke up late on New Year's Day and couldn't believe that she had missed New Years. She remembered a few years ago when her and her parents had managed to get a spot right by the River Thames as they watched the immense firework display that was by the London Eye to celebrate the beginning of a new year.

Hermione smiled fondly at the memory, one of the happier times that the family had shared.

She breathed out and found that she was filled with a new sense of determination. This was a new year, this was a new Hermione. She was going to make sure that what had happened had happened, there was no longer going to be a dark cloud over her anymore, she wasn't scared anymore. As sad as it was she no longer had her parents and with the rest of her friends under the protection of the order, there was nothing at risk, she had nothing to lose.

She decided that this New Year would begin as soon as she had said a proper goodbye to her parents. She had asked Minerva about a ceremony for her parents and Minerva had agreed that with a few confundus and obliviation spells, she would be able to say one last goodbye to her parents.

Minerva was worried about how maturely Hermione had handled it all, Hermione seemed to show that she had a tough exterior but in reality she was as fragile as glass, it was only a matter of time before the brightest witch of her age begun to crack. It was a matter of time.

Severus arrived back sometime in the evening on the first day of the new year and was surprised to see his Hermione up and walking about, he was so shocked that he had stood frozen in the doorway for a few minutes whilst she flounced about the room as if nothing had happened.

"Would you like to have tea with me Severus?" She asked him.

All Severus could do was nod as he slowly took a seat by his fireplace.

"I apologise for my behaviour I've the past few days, I'm sure you understand that the news came as quite the shock to me" she said cordially as the pair sipped their tea.

Severus cleared his throat, he had expected Hermione to be a bit out of sorts but this was off the scale, was this a normal reaction? He thought probably not but who was he to judge how someone handled trauma. He knew that should she need him, she would let him know.

"Also, thank you for allowing me to recover in your rooms. If it's alright with you, do you think I could stay until term resumes?" She asked him.

Term started on the 7th of January. It was only another six days and he agreed that she could spend some time in his rooms recovering, she would probably need the privacy.

"Thank you Severus" she whispered and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

Three days later Hermione found herself stood in a small graveyard at the church in her small town. There were two freshly dug holes and she watched in complete silence as two beautiful oak wood coffins were lowered into the ground. There were no other family members or friends of her parents; her parents had sacrificed all of that when Hermione found out that she was a witch, the funeral was a quiet affair.

Her parents had practically put their lives on hold after finding out Hermione was a witch and they had moved away and had cut most contact with family and friends in order to keep Hermione protected from her more religious family members.

So there she stood, with Severus and Minerva for support as the vicar blessed the coffins as they were placed in the ground. Hermione kissed two roses and placed one on each coffin; she said her goodbyes and promised to visit soon before leaving with her two professors.

Once she arrived back at Hogwarts, she made her way to Severus' rooms and curled up into a ball in one of the chairs, she remained there in silent thought for the rest of the day.

Severus watched her, making sure she was alright. But again he was worried; she seemed too alright after everything that had happened. He sighed; time would soon tell if she was truly alright.

Night fell and it started snowing, the snow covered the school grounds and it looked as if a thick white blanket had been placed over the castle. Severus had gone to bed hours ago but Hermione was still awake, not quite sure what she was doing. She looked at the fresh snow and found herself hypnotised by it and without any further thinking, she made her way out into the snow.

Severus awoke at the sound of the door to his rooms clicking shut and knew that Hermione had left his rooms. He panicked and quickly dressed himself and ran out of his rooms hoping to catch her up.

He used the tracing spell to follow her and found that she had gone outside. She had gone down to where she normally sat beneath the tree but Severus couldn't see her.

Then he spotted a bundle, lying on the floor and knew it was Hermione, he assumed she was hurt so he rushed towards her.

However, as he approached her he stopped on confusion.

There was Hermione Granger, lying on her back and spreading her arms and legs out and back in again, creating a snow angel on the ground, she had tears streaming down her face.

Severus watched her carefully until she finally sat up, in the middle of her creation, and stared out across the frozen lake.

Without turning to him, she knew he was there, she began to speak softly through her tears.

"Whenever it snowed, my mum would always make the three of us go out and make a snowman and snow angels" she whispered.

Severus crouched down next to her and moved to put his cloak around her could shoulders. Before he could do this, Hermione burst into tears and the last couple of weeks of grief poured out.

She sobbed and sobbed for her lost parents, she couldn't think properly and she didn't know what to do, without her parents she was lost and she didn't think she would ever be whole again.

She hadn't noticed Severus carrying her back to his rooms and placing her in his bed, he climbed in next to her and cuddled her as she cried in misery at the loss.

'Finally' Severus thought relieved, she needed this. This was natural healing at its finest and Severus coaxed every last tear out over her.

Finally, after hours, she passed out from emotional exhaustion cuddled up to her Severus. Severus fell asleep shortly after.

The day before students were expected back onto the grounds to resume the new school term, Hermione was sat in the chair next to the fire with her head in a new book. It had been a couple of days since her emotional breakdown and she felt better for it. She was still grieving her loss but felt slightly melancholy about it. At least she was feeling something, it was better than feeling completely numb.

She had been sat there in Severus' chair for the whole morning and was preparing to get something to eat when there was a loud bang that came from the doorway to Severus' rooms, this told her that Severus was back.

She marked her book so she knew where to pick up from when she went to read it again and went to greet her Severus.

"Severus, I'm thinking of eating some lunch, do you want-" she stopped speaking mid-sentence when she looked at the scene that had just crossed the threshold.

Severus had stumbled through the doorway to his rooms, whilst supporting a severely hurt Draco.

"My God what happened?" She asked in horror as she moved to help support Draco's other side. Both Hermione and Severus were able to get Draco onto Severus' sofa, they lay him down and Severus cast a few charms on the sofa to accommodate Draco.

Then Severus cast a divesto spell to get rid of Draco's clothes, leaving Draco in just his underwear.

Hermione stared in shock at the thin young man who was laying before her and nearly unconscious. Draco had lost a lot of weight since she had last seen him, he was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. He clearly hadn't been sleeping either but all of that wasn't what shocked Hermione the most.

Hermione gasped as she spotted the dark mark, still red and raw, branding the skin of her friend Draco Malfoy. Her heart burst for him, she looked at the marks that were on his body, fresh scars now marred his skin and she felt tears rising to the surface for him.

'Poor Draco' she thought to herself as she watched Severus rushing around trying to heal the injured Draco.

Draco opened his eyes slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the brightly lit room. He made a move to sit up and grimaced as a flash of pain shot through his entire body. His left arm was throbbing, the Dark Lord hadn't been best pleased about something and had taken it out on some of his newest recruits, Draco had been one of them.

He didn't know how long he had suffered at the hand of the Dark Lord's rage but by the time it was over, all Draco could hear was a high pitched ringing in his ear, he couldn't get his body to cooperate with his brain and he was struggling with his breathing. He'd tried to stand but ended up just collapsing on the floor.

After a few moments of lying helplessly on the floor, he saw two pairs of shoes in front of his face. He summoned enough energy to look up and saw his father and his godfather looking down at him worriedly.

He could see the two men were talking to one another but couldn't make out what they were saying. The next thing Draco knew was that he was being levitated off the ground and in his godfather's arms. He had then been apparated to what he thought looked like Hogwarts. He didn't remember much after that and he had passed out.

Now slowly sitting up, he looked around and noticed that he was in his godfather's private rooms. He was thankful for that and he began to look around to try and assess the situation in which he was in, he stopped when his eyes came across his godfather and Hermione, who were wrapped up in each other's arms in a comforting embrace. Neither of them looked like they had slept in a while and Hermione definitely had dried tear tracks down her face.

Draco was glad to see Hermione, he had heard about what had happened to her parents and the death eater attack but of course he hadn't been able to contact her to see if she was alright, that would have been asking for trouble.

"Draco? My god, how are you feeling" Hermione's panicked voice jolted him out of his thoughts.

Severus was immediately by Draco's side and running diagnostic charms over his body to make sure that he was alright. Hermione hovered close by, biting her lip nervously.

Severus sighed in relief.

"There is no lasting damage, your muscles will ache for a few days but that pain should lessen as the day goes on. How are you Draco?" Severus asked still looking worriedly down at his godson.

"I'm alright, achy" Draco replied.

"What happened?" Draco asked.

"Some of the new recruits were caught in a raid yesterday, needless to say the Dark Lord was unimpressed and automatically took his anger out on the rest of the new recruits, blaming you as a whole group rather than as individuals" Severus told him.

Draco nodded in understanding and relaxed back down in a comfortable position. Although he had just woken up from what seemed like a long sleep, he felt physically exhausted and felt himself start to drift back to sleep. He tried to fight it, wanting more information and to talk to Hermione but Severus put a hand on Draco's shoulder.

"You need rest, get some more sleep" Severus told Draco.

Severus then turned to Hermione.

"You need to go back to your dormitory; classes are back in session as of tomorrow and you need a decent night's sleep. Draco is alright, just like I promised so you can rest easy now" Severus told her.

She nodded, feeling overwhelmingly tired and grabbed some of her things and preparing to head back to her dormitory.

She hugged and gave Severus a quick peck on the lips and then turned to Draco who was staring at them both.

Hermione smiled at him and Draco stared back at her.

"Hermione, your parents, I'm so sorry" Draco said sadly.

He watched as his friend halted a series of sobs and tears and she walked over to him and placed a peck on his temple.

"Thank you Draco" she said sincerely and she made her way towards the door.

"Good night boys" she said as she left the room shutting the door gently behind her.

Draco stared at his godfather once more.

"Thank you Severus" he said to him.

You're welcome son, now get some sleep" Severus told him.

Draco nodded and shut his eyes sleepily. Severus leaned down and placed s fatherly kiss on his godson's forehead.

"I'm proud of you son" was the last thing Draco heard.

The next day classes were back in session, the students had come back the evening before and everyone seemed well rested from their break. Hermione's friends were once again, treating her like she was made of glass.

Draco hadn't shown up for classes that day, Hermione wasn't surprised. But it meant that there were comments from Ron and Harry about how suspicious it was and they were giving theories about why Draco hadn't shown up or been seen back at school.

Harry kept stealing subtle glances at Hermione, he suspected that she knew what was going on but didn't comment. The last thing Harry wanted to do was upset her even more than she already was, he had no desire to feel the wrath of Hermione Granger today thank you very much.

The trio were sat in their Defence against the Dark Arts class listening to the drivel that was coming out of Umbridge's mouth. Hermione sighed, thank Gods there was a DA meeting that night, at least they would be able to practice something.

After classes had finished, she wandered down to the dungeons, she knew Severus had office hours at that time and she also knew that no one would dare disturb the dreaded potions master if they didn't have to.

Hermione knocked and waited for permission to enter.

"How's Draco?" She asked once he had welcomed her into the office.

"He's alright, he just needed another day of rest. What he went through yesterday was not what a boy as young as him should ever have to experience, it's not what anybody should ever have to experience" Severus said.

Hermione could tell that he was stressed and worried for his godson and she wanted nothing more than to comfort Severus.

She stood from where she was sat in front of his desk and moved around to where he was sat behind his desk. She forcibly removed the quill that he was using to mark papers with, although it didn't take much force and she straddled his lap so that she was facing him and began massaging his shoulders.

Severus groaned in appreciation, she really was relaxing him. Hermione was glad when he relaxed, he had so much tension in his shoulder, so many knots, and she continued to massage the tension away from his shoulders.

Severus was aware of the intimate position they were in should anyone walk in but he was so relaxed that he really didn't care. It had also been a long time since he had been this close to Hermione, not with everything that had happened over the Christmas holiday. He was enjoying being touched, he knew it, his cock was beginning to react to her touch and Hermione could feel it.

Severus was leaning back in his chair, fully relaxed, eyes closed and now extremely enjoying his massage.

Hermione very slowly started to shift her hips on his lap so that she was creating some friction for him, hopefully giving him some pleasure.

Severus groaned deeply and sexily, he hated to admit it but he had missed this, he had missed her closeness.

"Let's go to your rooms" Hermione whispered sensuously in his ear.

Severus' hormones were on overdrive and he was more than happy to agree and so he lifted her up and took her to his rooms, locking the doors to his office and his rooms on the way.

Once inside his bedroom he lay her down gently and climbed on the bed next to her. They began kissing and rubbing against each other.

Hermione paused for a second and she felt bold, she began to unbutton Severus' shirt and took it off. She then unbuttoned his trousers and slowly took them off.

Severus' erection was standing proudly, straining against his underpants. Severus was staring at her, that was as far as she wanted to go for that moment.

Severus was about to say something and she could see the beginning of what looked like reluctance on his face and so she quickly moved to kiss him again whilst playing with his hardened length.

Severus' protest died when her lips touched his and he was lost to her again.

She then stopped and moved back, staring down at Severus whilst biting her lip. She moved to the buttons on her shirt and began to slowly undo her shirt.

Severus was watching her, he wanted to stop her but at the same time didn't want to discourage her or make it seem like he was rejecting her. He trusted her and knew that if she was uncomfortable that she would stop, so he let her continue.

She then focuses on her skirt and began to pull her skirt off. Eventually, she was left in her bra, knickers and socks.

Severus couldn't help but openly gape at her beautiful body. Hermione took his staring as a bad thing and began to feel self-conscious; she moved to cover her body with her hands.

He leaned forward gently and stopped her from covering herself up.

"Beautiful" he whispered into her ear and he slowly kissed every inch of her bare skin that was available to him.

She slowly removed her bra and Severus silently asked permission to explore her breasts.

She agreed and he slowly started to fondle her breasts and kissed them gently.

Hermione groaned, her nipples had hardened and Severus had started to lick her areolas and suck her nipples. Hermione was squealing in sheer pleasure and was extremely wet. She could feel the moisture in her underwear and she was sure that she was dripping on Severus' leg.

She could feel herself getting closer to the edge of climax, she never realised how sensitive she was. Seconds later, the ball of tension inside her snapped and she found herself experiencing one of the most powerful orgasms she had ever had. She nearly passed out from pleasure.

When she regained control of herself, Severus was staring down at her with a satisfied smirk.

She wanted to reciprocate and went to place her hands on either side of his underwear with the intention of pulling them down but as she began to pull down his underwear, she froze. She wanted to go further but something was stopping her and she literally couldn't go any further.

She was trying to force herself to do it but two hands stopped her. She looked up into Severus' eyes and he shook his head.

"You're not ready for anything more, it's alright" he told her gently.

"I'm sorry, that was amazing and I really want to do more but I just can't" she told him, looking down and feeling foolish.

He put his hand under her chin and gently raised her head so she was looking at him.

"My darling, don't ever apologise, I understand" he told her as he kissed her head and lay down on the bed once more, pulling her to him so they were facing each other.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his chest. She kissed him on the lips once more and slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep. Severus was right behind her and soon he too succumbs to sleep.

In the living room Draco was sat with a glass of fire whiskey, half grossed out and half wanting to laugh about the sounds that had been emitting from his godfathers bedroom.

He chuckled and couldn't wait to see their faces when they left the room and found him still sat there.

They had been so wrapped up in each other that neither had remembered that Draco had been sat happily catching up on his missed work at Severus' table in the living room.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Thank you once again for the support and your comments and reviews, I'm glad you're all still enjoying this story. Chapter Warnings - possible mentions of sexual assault, violence, bad language and sexual situations. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Many Thanks :)**

Chapter 36 – Caught, Harry and more Legilimency Lessons

Hermione woke first, it was now dark out. How long had they been asleep? She was still wrapped up in Severus' arms and was still tucked against his chest. Hermione looked over Severus' shoulder to where the bedroom door had been left open and her heart stopped.

Draco was stood casually in the doorway, smirking and holding a cup of either tea or whiskey, she couldn't quite tell in the darkness.

He looked better and Hermione smiled at him through her blush that she was currently near nude in bed with the godfather of her newest friend. She squealed slightly and made sure that the duvet was securely wrapped around her.

Her squeal had prompted Severus into consciousness and he looked at her and grinned. His hand was on her bare thigh and he slid it up to her hip and kissed her on the cheek.

"Morning love" he whispered to her.

"Awww, evening lovers" Draco sniggered from the doorway.

"FUCK!" Severus yelled completely caught off guard.

He spun round to see a smug looking Draco in the doorway.

"Next time you guys want to get it on, you should exercise silencing charms. I almost threw up my lunch earlier" Draco laughed.

Severus flushed and Hermione buried herself under the duvet in order to hide her embarrassment.

Severus coughed awkwardly, he was now awake and remembered exactly what happened a couple of hours earlier and that Draco would have been in the rooms the entire time. Severus had also realised that it was not morning and probably more likely to be early evening and so he glared playfully at Draco.

"Alright I get it, I will wait out here whilst you make yourselves decent" Draco said as he left the room.

Severus groaned in humiliation. Although he had quite the wake-up call, it had done nothing to wilt his raging erection.

Hermione had been too embarrassed to notice and had gone about getting ready to head back to her dorm for the evening. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain away her absence to the boys.

Severus put on a loose pair of trousers, he was sure that he would cause permanent damage if he were to try and put on his normal tight formal trousers. He put a robe on over the top to hide his current state and followed Hermione to where Draco sat in the main room.

There was an awkward moment of silence before Severus spoke up.

"Are you alright Draco? Have you caught up with your missed work? Any pain?" Severus asked.

"I'm all caught up Severus and I feel a lot better, thank you. I am in no pain" Draco told him.

Severus nodded and smiled at him.

"You gave us a good scare Draco" Hermione said as she hugged him.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Er..." Draco started but looked at Severus.

"Hermione, there are somethings that we are unable to tell you. It could put us in more danger than we are already in" Severus told her.

Hermione nodded, she would rather remain ignorant if it meant that they were safer.

"Can I ask about the mark?" She asked with uncertainty.

Severus sighed.

"I was forced to take it, I didn't want to do it, I don't want any of this. But, he threatened my family if I didn't do it. And now, I'm in a position that I have no idea what to do about. I've been set up to fail and there is nothing I can do if I want to live to see the summer" Draco said miserably.

"Needless to say, you cannot mention anything about this to anybody" Severus stated.

Hermione nodded, that was obvious.

"Why have you been set up to fail? What have you got to do?" She asked, she wasn't sure if they were going to divulge that information to her or not, she would understand if they didn't.

"I can't tell you exactly what it is that I've got to do but the ultimate goal is to get at Potter. Do something that's going to make him so blinded by anger that he acts out irrationally and doesn't really know what he's doing." Draco informed her.

"So you're going to be going after someone who has a strong relationship with Harry, you've got to harm one of us haven't you?" She asked him.

Draco looked down ashamed and nodded.

"He didn't specify who it had to be but essentially yes, I have to get to Potter through someone he cares about and has a strong relationship with. As long as I get the job done, it doesn't matter who it is that gets harmed" Draco whispered.

He had begun to tear up, he didn't have the strength to do this, he was going to fail and he was going to die and he knew it.

Severus decided to give the two friends a moment, the wards had alerted him that there was someone knocking on his office door. He excused himself and went to see who it was.

Hermione went and sat next to Draco.

"It will be alright, if there is anything I can do to help, please just ask me" she told him, staring at the dark mark that now marred Draco's perfect skin.

"Thanks" Draco said.

Hermione smiled.

"Now enough doom and gloom, are you sure you have finished all your work?" She asked him.

Draco grinned.

"Nearly, but what about you? Have you finished your work in my godfather's bedroom? An early birthday present for him perhaps?" Draco smirked.

Hermione flushed and cleared her throat, she was embarrassed but was thankful that Draco had brought up Severus, birthday, with everything that had been going on, she had nearly forgotten all about it.

"We didn't realise you were still in here" she muttered pathetically.

Draco scoffed.

"I realised that from the 'ugh, fuck, you're beautiful Hermione'" Draco mimicked what he had heard Severus say earlier.

Hermione breathed deeply, to calm her red cheeks and looked at Draco sheepishly.

"Also, he wouldn't stop talking about your boobs. You must have a fine set there Granger" he mocked her.

Hermione looked indignant and was about to respond.

"That is for me to know and you to never find out, thank you Draco" Severus said as he re-entered the room after having dealt with a second year Slytherin who had been caught practicing a hex on a Hufflepuff.

Draco looked wide eyed at Severus. He knew his godfather was very respectful of women and after hearing what the comments he was just making, Draco feared he was about to be torn a new one.

"Sorry Severus" Draco said.

Severus stared at him for a moment and nodded.

"Dinner has just started in the great hall, we need to all be there. I believe your little friends are beginning to get suspicious about your whereabouts Hermione and they are even more suspicious about Draco's whereabouts. The two of you go ahead and I will come along in a few moments" he informed the pair.

They nodded at Severus and left, deliberating over what story they were going to formulate about why they had both been missing for hours.

Severus needed a few minutes to collect himself, he was still rock hard from when he had woken up and it was now painful and no matter what distractions he had tried, nothing was working. Damn the minx!

Severus went and sat down on his chair and took himself out of his trousers. He looked at his stubborn dick and sighed as he took himself in his hand and began to relieve himself of the tension that he'd had for hours. Severus felt awful about it but he found himself thinking about the feel of Hermione's breasts, how they looked, how they tasted. He found himself quickly approaching the end and his heartbeat was racing and he let out a loud moan as his hand was covered in his cum as it spilled from his throbbing dick. Damn the minx!

Hermione took her usual spot at the Gryffindor table and piled her plate with food, having missed lunch she was ravenous and began to scarf down her food.

Harry and Ron stared at her with open mouths; they had never seen Hermione act in this manner before. They stared at each other before staring at Hermione again. Hermione paused long enough to glare at them, daring them to say something and they hastily averted their eyes from her and entered another conversation of Quidditch.

Hermione finished her meal and when she was full, she relaxed and sighed in contentment.

"Where have you been Mione, you have been missing all afternoon?" Ron asked her.

"I had to meet...someone, I offered to tutor them in arithmancy" she lied. She looked at Harry meaningfully, trying to convey the correct message.

Harry instantly picked up on it and subtly looked over to where Draco was sat, trying to eat something without all the Slytherin's staring at him. Clearly, some of Draco's housemates had been informed by their death eater parents about what had happened to Draco over Christmas and they were scared of him. Draco was now more alone than ever.

Hermione nodded at Harry as if confirming Harry's thoughts that she had been meeting up with Draco all afternoon.

Harry wanted to know everything about Draco and why he had been missing but he also knew that Hermione, being the type of good friend that she was, would not say a word about what was discussed between her and Draco. He decided to let the matter drop for now.

Hermione was now thinking about Severus' birthday, how could she have forgotten about Severus' birthday? Had Draco not mentioned it she would have completely missed it and that would have made her the worst person in the world.

She was thinking about what she could get him, she still had his pendant, that he got her for Christmas, firmly secured around her neck.

She had completely tuned out of Harry and Ron's conversation but something she overheard reeled her back in and she wasn't quite sure what she thought about it.

"You did what Harry?" She asked.

"I had a meeting with McGonagall today, she told me that I am going to be going to Snape for extra tuition lessons. It's the worst thing ever, I literally feel like my world is ending. I don't want to spend my evenings with the greasy git. A night with Voldemort would be preferable at this point" Harry sighed.

"Don't be stupid Harry, you don't mean that you arse" Hermione snapped at him.

He looked down. Okay, maybe he didn't mean it but he still didn't like the idea of spending his free time with Snape.

Hermione wondered why Severus had not mentioned it, maybe he didn't know yet or maybe he had known about it for ages but with everything else, maybe he'd just forgotten about it.

She forgot about that for now, she would ask him when she saw him for her extra lessons tomorrow. Her mind was now firmly on Severus' birthday, it seemed such a silly thing to worry over in the wider context of things but she couldn't help it, she wanted to do something special. She was pretty sure that Severus had never celebrated a birthday and she felt sad. He deserved to feel special.

"When do these extra classes start and what are you going to be doing?" Hermione asked him, including herself in the conversations once more.

"My first meet with him is tonight, after dinner and he's going to be teaching me...is it...occlumens?" He said.

Hermione froze.

"You mean occlumency? The art of defending the mind?" She asked him.

"The very one" Harry confirmed.

"Wow! That's huge Harry, what brought that on? Why do you need to learn it?" She asked him.

"When Arthur Weasley was attacked before Christmas, I was shown the attack in, what I thought was, a dream. I was in this room, I think it was at the ministry and Arthur was there doing his guard duties. Then, Voldemort's snake started to attack Arthur. But my dream made it seem like I was the snake and that it was me attacking Arthur. Dumbledore says it's because of my 'special' connection with Voldemort, he has the ability to see into my mind, influence it, make me see whatever he wants me to see. We are not quite sure if Voldemort knows about the connection but Dumbledore is not waiting around to find out. So I have to go and see Snape so that he can show me how to defend myself." Harry said sullenly, why did this shit always happen to him?

"If Dumbledore's suggested it Harry then this is serious, you need to promise me that you will put your hatred for Sev-, er, Professor Snape aside and try hard at these lessons" she said to him, nearly cocking up on Severus' formal title.

Harry also noticed the slip up but didn't say anything. He was still bewildered over what he saw in the potion professor's classroom a few weeks ago. He had spent most of his time denying that he saw anything other than a standard professional teacher-student relationship between Snape and his sister. But now he wasn't so sure.

He focuses on what Hermione had said and, as always, she was right. He needed to focus on these lessons, he wasn't happy about them but they were set up to help him. He knew it would probably end badly but he would at least try.

"Alright Mione, I will at least try to be a model student for him" Harry agreed.

Hermione sighed and smiled at her friend.

"That's all I ask Harry" she said.

Ron scoffed at the conversation.

"Well, all I can say is 'Good Luck' to ya mate. You're gonna need it" Ron said, giving Harry a manly pat on the back in encouragement and support.

Harry nodded and swallowed the last of his pumpkin juice.

"Well, off I go. If I'm not back by curfew find Dumbledore and tell him that you will need a manhunt for my corpse and that Snape is the first suspect" Harry joked.

"Harry!" Hermione said aghast.

"Just kidding, I will see you later" Harry said to his friends and he left the hall and headed towards the dungeons.

Severus had finished another glass of fire whiskey, it had been less than an hour since Draco and Hermione had left his quarters. He had been on his way to the great hall when Albus had met him and guided him back to the dungeons.

He hated Albus sometimes! Why did he need to train Potter? it would never work and it was doomed from the beginning. Severus sighed.

"I'm sorry Severus, I know you and Mr Potter don't see eye to eye but if Harry cannot get control over his own mind, the dark lord could possess the boy completely and I don't know what would happen after that. I implore you Severus, the boy needs help for the sake of the world." Dumbledore told him.

Severus just wanted to rip his hair out.

Meanwhile Dumbledore had taken to some of the papers that Draco had been working on earlier that afternoon.

"And how is the young Mr Malfoy? Is he well?" Dumbledore asked.

Severus had already told Dumbledore of the developments that had occurred at Christmas and Draco having been forced to take the mark.

"He's doing well considering the situation" Severus said tersely, showing the old headmaster that the subject was fragile and off topic.

Albus nodded his head in understanding.

"And what is that other scent I can detect. Is that female perfume? Have you had a guest in your rooms Severus? I saw Sybil eyeing you up at dinner the other week" Albus jested in good faith.

Severus looked mortified, he wasn't sure if it was due to the fact that Albus could smell Hermione's perfume or the thought of Trelawney coming after him. He shivered.

"Are you insane?" Severus snarled, highly strung by the comments.

Albus raised his hands and chuckled.

"I'm just jesting Severus and I know it's not Sybil, she wears a completely fragrance. There is something different about this fragrance, I think I have come across that scent before. When I visited the muggle world not too long ago, there was a young woman who had perfume but it was for under her arms. It was an odd concept and something I hadn't come across before, muggles are fascinating. Don't you think Severus?" Albus questioned, looking pointedly at Severus.

Severus began to feel the sweat forming at the back of his neck, there is no way the headmaster could know about who the mystery scent belonged to. Could he? Severus knew he needed to respond and quick.

"I am familiar with the concept and it is rather odd" Severus admitted.

Albus waited to see if Severus would say anything else and then proceeded with what he originally came all the way down here for.

"I have had Harry instructed to come straight to your office once he has finished eating in the great hall. He will be down shortly, so I will take my leave" Albus informed Severus.

Severus felt his eye twitch. It had been a good day up until this point. He started pouring the fire whiskey. He needed to prepare himself for the evening ahead.

Harry knocked tentatively on the office door of his potions professor. Harry hated to admit it but he was slightly nervous, that wasn't a good thing as it usually meant that he went straight on the defensive.

The door opened on its own accord and Harry came face to face with the potions professor.

"Good evening sir" Harry said to be polite.

"Give over boy, don't be two faced, sit there and prepare yourself" Severus told Harry pointing at the chair.

Harry sat down and was unsure what to do, he didn't really know how to prepare himself. He didn't even know what was about to happen.

"I will attempt to enter your mind. You need to keep me out" Severus said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ready, good. Legillimens" Severus said as he easily entered the mind for the unprepared Potter boy.

Severus was trying to find what memories Harry reacted to the most. Severus wondered whether it would be embarrassing or painful memories that affected Potter the most. Well, there was only one way to find out.

Severus quickly latched onto the memory of the Diggory boy that had died before the summer. Severus felt a small emotional reaction to the bringing up of the memory but it was no-where near strong enough.

So, painful memories caused a slight sting. So Severus tried embarrassing memories. He found a particular memory where Harry had passed out on the train in third year due to the dementor attack and how most of the students - particularly the Slytherin's - had mocked him for it. Again, there was a bit more of a response this time. Harry tried to fight back but it was futile, the whole memory played out before Severus stopped the memory.

So a bit of pain and a bit of embarrassment worked a little. How about private memory?

Severus found a memory from what seemed to be Harry's first year. The boy had just had his very first nocturnal emission and was slightly unsure as to what had happened. Growing up in the family he did, Harry had never got a full sexual education and in this memory, young Harry was utterly embarrassed and confused about what had happened. All he knew what there was a wet patch on his pyjama bottoms and a small patch in his bedsheets. Harry had been so confused that he thought he had peed in the bed. Well, at least until Ron had seen what had happened and told Harry in a roundabout way what it was that had happened to him.

Severus felt a much stronger reaction, similar to the one that occurred when Severus brought forward Harry's more angry memories.

So, all in all for the first lesson the results were clear for now. Painful and embarrassing memories worked to an extent but it was Harry's super private and angry memories that were most effective. At least Severus knew what he was now working with.

"How dare you?!" Harry exclaimed.

"I don't care about your memories and nor will the dark lord, whatever he desires to seek from your mind, he will get if we do not work at this" Severus snapped back at the boy.

"But they were private and personal" Harry snapped, his face red from anger and embarrassment.

"What? Poor little Potter, embarrassed at the fact he couldn't keep his pyjama bottoms clean" Severus mocked, secretly relishing in the boys humiliation.

Harry was enraged.

Severus drew his wand.

"Oh give over boy, settle down, so what you're human with the same responses as every other male adolescent on the planet. You are deviating from the task. You need to try and shut me out of your memories" Severus told him.

Harry settled down and took a deep breath. He was still utterly humiliated.

"Ready Potter? Concentrate. Legillimens" Severus chanted and was making his way through Potter's memories once again.

Hermione and Ron had sat up waiting in the dormitory for Harry. Hermione was worried, she knew that Harry and Severus alone in the same room for too long was like setting a flame to petrol - highly flammable.

Hermione stopped worrying about 45 minutes before curfew as a tired looking Harry staggered through the portrait entrance.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed upon seeing him.

Her shriek alerted Ron, who had fallen asleep in the process of waiting for Harry, and both sat Harry down and got him some alcohol that Ron had swiped from his older brothers.

"How was it? Are you alright?" Hermione was quick to question him. She knew that the lessons were exhausting and she knew that Harry would be asleep in no time.

Harry shook his head, clearly not wanting to talk about it.

Hermione and Ron didn't know if this was a good or bad thing. If things had been a disaster, Harry would've come in raging about it but if things had gone well, Harry would've been smug about it. For the first time in five years, Harry's friends did not know how to read him.

Hermione told Ron to make sure Harry got upstairs and went to bed herself. After all, it was her lesson with Severus tomorrow.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: Here we go, the next chapter of my story! Thank you all who read and support this story, I enjoy writing it, thank you for your comments and reviews, they are much appreciated. Just a reminder for those who keep asking about updates: I update and put up a new chapter every six days as it gives me time to read the reviews and take on board people's comments. Chapter Warnings - potential mentions of sexual assault, bad language, violence and sexual situations. Enjoy, many thanks!**

Chapter 37 – Dumbledore, Observations and Severus' Birthday Present

The following evening, Hermione made her way down to the dungeons for her occlumency lesson. Harry had told her in a roundabout way what had happened with his first lesson with Severus so she was prepared for Severus to be in a less than favourable mood. She got to the hidden entrance to Severus' rooms and let herself in.

She went and sat on the sofa in his main room, he wasn't there yet but she knew he wouldn't be too long. She waited patiently for his arrival. The longer she waited, the more panicked she would become. She hated it when she knew that Severus had gone to a death eater meeting, she really did worry about him – and now Draco as well – she really hoped that he had not been called tonight.

A few minutes later Severus' floo activated and Hermione relaxed, Severus was here and he was alright. Thank Merlin for small mercies. However, she was shocked and more than a little nervous when Albus Dumbledore steeped out of the fireplace. It was apparent that the old headmaster was equally as shocked at Hermione's presence in Severus' rooms.

"What are you doing in a professor's private rooms, Miss Granger?" He asked her.

Hermione knew that she would have to be very careful about what she said next. She and Severus could both get into a lot of trouble if she didn't think on her feet.

"I'm here for occlumency lessons" she told the headmaster.

Dumbledore blinked. Why was Severus giving Hermione Granger occlumency lessons? He had told Severus that this was unnecessary. So why had Severus deliberately gone behind his back?

Hermione seemed to remember this at exactly the same moment that Dumbledore did and she quickly went to follow up her previous comment.

"I felt it necessary to be taught how to defend my mind. There is going to be war soon, we all know that those closest to Harry are prime targets. If I'm to protect the Orders secrets I need to know how to defend my mind, I personally think that we all do. Also, we both know that Harry and Professor Snape have an unstable relationship, it is only a matter of time before they are at each other's throats. I figured that if there ever came a time that Professor Snape could no longer teach Harry then maybe I could. So that's why I persuaded the Professor to teach me". She told him, praying that the headmaster would accept her explanation and just move on.

"I will accept your reasoning for now Miss Granger but that does not explain why you have access to the Professors private rooms" Dumbledore said sternly, still waiting for an explanation. He had been curious about the nature of Severus and Hermione's relationship when she had spent the week between Christmas and New Years in Severus' bed 'recovering', Dumbledore was concerned that there was slightly more to it than what they were letting on.

"The Professor said that it was for safety reasons. Like this evening, he has been held up and is late for my lesson. If the lesson took place in the classroom or his office, then I would have to wait outside in the corridor where anybody - mainly the Slytherin's – could see me and that could leave me vulnerable to attack. He also felt that his classroom and office were unsafe as anyone could walk in and whilst we could explain it away as a detention, people would want to know why I received detention and would draw unnecessary attention to our lessons. Which is dangerous for the both of us" she explains to the headmaster.

Dumbledore still looked suspicious and was about to interrogate her further but before he could, Severus entered his rooms.

Severus froze at the sight of his nervous Hermione and the headmaster, currently sat in his private rooms. A sweat immediately broke out on the back of his neck and he tried to stay calm, how was he going to explain this.

"Good evening Severus" Dumbledore addressed him.

"Miss Granger and I were just talking about why she has access to your personal rooms" Dumbledore stared at him disapprovingly.

Severus went to reply but Dumbledore held up his hand, demanding silence.

"I know about the occlumency lessons and I am displeased you went behind my back. However, I came to talk to you about much more important matters and so this will be a conversation for another night" Dumbledore said.

He turned to Hermione.

"Now, Miss Granger, if you don't mind I need to speak with Severus, you will have to postpone your lesson for tonight" he told her.

Hermione nodded in agreement and collected her things and made her way to the door.

"Miss Granger, we will meet here tomorrow evening at the same time to conduct your lesson" Severus told her.

Hermione nodded in acknowledgement and had to try and hide her glee. This meant that she would be spending the evening with Severus on his birthday. She was excited.

"Yes sir, good evening Professor, headmaster" she said to them both and left the rooms. She headed for her own dorm.

Inside Severus' quarters, Dumbledore was looking was looking at Severus with curiosity as the girl left the room.

"I can explain-" Severus began.

Once again, Severus was cut off when Dumbledore raised his hand.

"I told you Severus, there are more important things to discuss" he told Severus.

Severus nodded and waited for Dumbledore to begin.

"How is Draco?" Dumbledore asked.

"He's recovering but he's getting better. The poor boy was forced to do this and he has practically been backed into a corner" Severus told him.

Dumbledore nodded.

"You mentioned a task that he has to do" Dumbledore prompted.

Severus began to explain in detail about what had happened and what Draco was required to do.

After Severus had finished explaining, Dumbledore sat in silence for a moment to think about it all.

Finally he spoke.

"I have a feeling that any day now I'm going to be told to leave by the minister of magic and Delores. I won't have a choice and I won't be allowed back. I need to put some plans and preparations in place before that happens. With that inquisitorial squad that Delores has formed, it is only a matter of time before the DA is uncovered and I am gone. We must prepare now" Dumbledore said.

"What do you want me to do?" Severus asked.

"I'm not sure yet, give me a few days and I will be back and will tell you the plans" Dumbledore said as he made his way back to the fireplace. He flooed back to his office.

Severus sat and breathed a sigh of relief, thanking Merlin that the headmaster had decided to drop the occlumency issue for the night. He and Hermione had dodged a massive bullet tonight.

The following day, Hermione bounced through her classes in excitement, she couldn't wait to see Severus, it was his birthday and she knew that he had not realised that she had remembered when his birthday was.

That evening she found herself walking down to the dungeons to Severus' private rooms. Once there, she gave the password and was granted access. She entered the room and immediately found Severus.

He was sat in his chair by the fireplace, in his evening clothes, wearing his reading glasses and marking a pile of essays.

He looked up at her and acknowledged her as she entered his rooms. His look immediately turned to one of confusion as she bypassed the main room completely and headed towards his bedroom.

Hermione knew that his curiosity would get the better of him and he would follow her. She entered his bedroom and immediately got into position behind his bedroom door so that she could close it once he had passed over the threshold. As predicted, not a minute later Severus entered his rooms.

He was again confused, there appeared to be no sign of the witch but he was so certain she had come in here. Then the sound of his bedroom door closing had him spinning around so fast he thought he might suffer from whiplash.

He met the eyes of his Hermione, who didn't waste a second. She stalked towards him and immediately drew him in for a deep and sensual kiss.

She let her tongue lightly sweep across his lips, begging for entrance to his mouth. Permission was granted. As soon as she had access to his mouth, passion flared between the two. Hermione took a moment to gently nibble on his bottom lip, she knew that this drive him crazy.

"What's this about?" He asked her when she paused for breath.

She shushed him and moved her lips towards his ear, she gently nibbled on his earlobe and whispered in his ear.

"Happy birthday, big boy" she said seductively. Severus groaned and his eyes practically rolled into the back of his head.

Hermione stripped him of his shirt and played lightly with his nipples, he groaned even more loudly. His hands moved towards the knot that was around her neck and held her cloak together. He looked at her, silently asking permission if he could undo it and she nodded.

He undid the knot and removed her cloak and nearly came on the spot. Under her robes, all Hermione had on was purple and black, lacy, see through lingerie and Severus paused to take in the beautiful sight before him. He started to massage her breast through her bra, seeking her face to make sure that she was alright.

Hermione taking his distraction as an advantage pushed him backwards until his knees met his bed and within the blink of an eye he was on his back, on his bed.

The minx had already removed his top and was making quick work of his trousers. She slid them down his legs and then removed them completely.

Severus was as hard as a rock and was struggling to control himself, especially when Hermione began kissing every single spot of exposed skin that she could find.

She reached his snail trail and seductively drifted lower and lower. She reached where he clearly needed her most and she let out a deep, warm breath, teasing his cock before quickly moving on to kiss the tips of his thighs and down his legs.

Severus groaned in anticipation. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take the teasing. She then moved so that she was lying on top of him and she started rubbing herself against his hardened length for extra friction, she groaned in pleasure as did Severus. She could feel him tensing and she knew he wasn't going to last much longer if she carried on the way she was going. She could feel that he was already leaking and Hermione was so wet but tonight wasn't about her. No, she promised that tonight would not be about her and be all about her Severus, this was one of his birthday presents after all.

Hermione seeing that he wasn't going to last longer if she continued with what she was doing, quickly moved to the next stage.

She gripped the waistband of his boxers and removed them completely, so that he was on full display.

His flushed, purple, throbbing cock pulsed in need for her, he was weeping and she felt herself salivating. All she wanted to do was taste.

Severus saw the look in her eyes and knew what she was going to do. He went to tell her that she didn't have to if she didn't want to. But she silenced all thought when she abruptly placed light kisses down his shaft.

He gasped in delight and had to grip the bedsheets in order to stop himself cumming right there and then.

She could taste him and it was addicting, she plunged her plump lips over his head and began to blow him.

Severus gasped, she was phenomenal. Not only was she giving him the best blow job ever, she was also deep throating him, he was surprised. Was there anything that this girl couldn't do?

Hermione was so absorbed in what she was doing that she hadn't notice Severus begin to tense up. He was close and he knew he was going to cum. Hermione moved her lips back up to the head of his dick and lightly swiped her tongue across the slit that she found there.

That was game over for Severus. He roared as he exploded in her mouth and she greedily gulped down everything that he had to offer her.

Once Severus had finished, he grabbed Hermione and pulled her down so she was lying next to him and hugged her.

"That was amazing" he told her as he kissed her forehead.

She hummed in pleasure and he moved his hand down towards her knickers. She stopped him.

"It's all about you tonight" she told him and he found himself loving her even more.

"Thank you love" he whispered.

"Happy birthday Severus" she whispered as both of them drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, across the castle, in the Gryffindor tower, boy's dormitory, Harry Potter was sat up in his bed. The rest of his housemates were either out or asleep, Harry had the curtains drawn around his bed and was intending to check in on Malfoy. Harry was still suspicious of Malfoy and with Hermione not saying a word, Harry knew that he would have to keep an eye on Draco himself.

He had seen Hermione's name appear on the map and assumed she was going to the library. However, then she headed in the complete opposite direction of the library and towards the dungeons. Harry found himself watching his friends every move.

Was she going to meet Draco? Why would she willing walk into the snake pit?

However Harry was thrown completely when he saw her enter and unmarked entrance. Was this where she secretly met up with Draco?

However, Harry was even more confused when he saw the name of Severus Snape appear in the same vicinity as Hermione. Were these the potion master's private rooms? What the hell was Hermione doing there?

Harry was now hooked on the events, almost like an intense film that you just had to keep on watching.

He watched as Hermione and Severus' name moved and became undeniably closer together. This was the type of closeness that Harry normally noticed from couples who were trying to get it on in hidden alcoves.

'No, there was no way' Harry thought and he couldn't help but watch the names on the map, he felt like he was completely overstepping a boundary and knew that he should have shut the map and left her alone. But he just couldn't.

The two names floated together for a while before moving and giving the impression of lying down. He couldn't help but notice Snape's name barely moving but Hermione's name was moving at a rhythmic pace up and down on the page. Harry's eyes widened - no she wouldn't, she couldn't be doing that. There was no way that she was doing THAT with Snape - was there?

Harry was unsure, he didn't really know what to think and he didn't want to know anymore, he took one last look at the map, the two names appeared to not be moving anymore and we're now lying next to each other and gave the impression that they were sleeping.

Was Hermione having sex with the greasy git of the dungeons?

Harry didn't want to know. He closed the map and cast mischief managed and put the map away, he then lay down and settled into a restless and uneasy sleep.

Should he ask her about what he had seen? Should he keep quiet but keep an eye on her?

He would decide once he had got some rest.

The following morning, Hermione woke next to Severus in his bed and found that he was staring at her fondly.

She smiled back and then moved to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you for last night love, you're beautiful" he told her.

She giggled, glad that he had enjoyed one of her presents. She paused and remembered that she had another gift for him in the pocket of her cloak. She couldn't believe that she had nearly forgotten about it.

She moved quickly and grabbed the wrapped package out of her pocket and handed it to Severus, when he did not immediately take the gift she looked at him curiously. He was staring at her, she had fallen asleep in her little ensemble and blushed, it was morning and meant that it was lighter in the room. Severus noticed her blush and smirked.

"Did you bring extra clothes because I refuse to let you leave here in just that and your cloak?" He told her.

He was surprised that the goody 'know-it-all' had pranced through the corridors of Hogwarts in just her cloak and sexy lingerie. It was a major turn on and Severus was mentally telling his cock to pipe down. It was being insistent this morning, it had liked the attention that it had received last night and now it was craving more.

Severus was embarrassed by this and tried to hide it, but Hermione could see the tented sheets - she wasn't stupid.

She grinned.

"No Severus, I brought my bag and my uniform and all my books for today in it, just in case I ended up staying the night. That way I can creep out of here completely undetected" she told him.

"You're a minx!" He exclaimed, chuckling at her antics.

"I know" she yelled back as she grabbed her clothes and made her way to the bathroom.

Severus was left alone in the room, still staring at the wrapped gift. He could hear the shower turn on and he could hear the melodic voice of his Hermione as she sang some song about 'Dancing in the Dark'*.

He began to unwrap his gift like an excited child, he had never celebrated his birthday before, his family didn't have the money for such luxuries, hell, Severus was lucky if he walked away with only a slap across the face from his father.

He stared at his gift, she truly was thoughtful and he would always treasure the gift - she was amazing. This had been the best birthday ever.

 ***'Dancing in the Dark' by Bruce Springsteen (1984)**


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: Hiya everyone! Once again thank you all for your comments and reviews! :). I had some of you ask some questions so I am going to do my best to answer them. Firstly, for those who are wondering about what's going to happen to Sirius...stick around for chapters 40 and 41! Secondly, I called the line of hair which goes from the male's abdomen to the groin a 'snail trail' only because that's what the guys who I have been with called it (I apologise if you know it as something else). Thirdly, I've written about 43 chapters for this story so far and at the moment I am up to Hogwarts Easter Holidays, I want to try and get this story written soon as I will have assignment deadlines at the end of April as I graduate from University this summer. If you have any other questions, just ask and I will try and answer them for you! Chapter Warnings - potential mentions of sexual assault, violence, bad language and other sexual situations. Many Thanks, hope you enjoy! :)**

Chapter 38 - Suspicions, a Conversation and Harry

Two weeks after Severus' birthday, Hermione was in full study mode, OWL's were only a few months away and she had to buckle down. Her friends would disagree but she was feeling itchy fingered and had to constantly be in contact with a book, a quill or parchment.

She had spoken with Draco the day before and he had confided everything in her. Even the things that Severus had told Draco not to tell her. They had cried together for a while and talked about what their ideal futures would be if there wasn't about to be a war.

Draco had his eyes on somebody, a secret crush that he refused to tell Hermione exactly who it was. Draco and his mystery had spent a couple of nights together and shared a few kisses but Draco refused to let it go any further. Should the wrong person find out about his secret boyfriend, Draco and his new lover would die instantly. Draco refused to let that happen and so Draco had been keeping his distance.

Draco's ideal future would be no mark, no master, no threat, no danger. Just childhood, and the freedom to do whatever he wanted without having to look over his shoulder all the time. Hermione imagined something similar, her future would include Severus, there would be no judgement and Severus would be free from his masters.

They would live in the pretty little cottage that she knew Severus owned, in the rural countryside of France. They would stay there and enjoy the peace. Hermione didn't dare think on potential marriage or children, Severus didn't seem the type. Hermione wanted a career, if she could have it and pass her bloody OWL's.

Hermione sighed, snapping out of her fantasy world.

'Don't do it to yourself Hermione, you're only setting yourself up for heartbreak. We're almost at war, you could be dead within the year' she thought to herself as she focused back on her work.

The DA had been meeting less and less frequently, Umbridge had been gaining more power. She had her inquisitorial squad that were all over the place, spying on everyone just to get a slither of decent information. It helped that Draco had made sure that he had become an important part of the squad as he could inform Hermione about what was going on and the places and topics that should be avoided whilst walking through the corridors. He also gave her a list of members so the DA knew who to keeping an eye on.

It gave the DA quite the upper hand and it had been annoying the shit out of Umbridge, much to everyone's pleasure.

"Hey Mione" Ron said, snapping Hermione out of her thoughts. It looked like today was not her day for focusing on studying, she decided to quit where she was for the day and just relax a little before trying to go back to studying again tomorrow.

"Hi boys" she said as she looked up at Harry and Ron who had taken a seat opposite her in the great hall.

The boys grinned back and Harry looked slightly redder in the cheeks than normal. That threw Hermione a little.

"Everything alright Harry?" She asked him.

Harry flushed even more and Hermione raised her eyebrow in shock, she then looked at Ron, who was grinning like a Cheshire Cat at Harry.

"Somebody spent the afternoon smooching in front of a fireplace in the ROR" Ron said in a singsong voice and then proceeded to snigger as Harry completely sucked his head from view.

Hermione's mouth dropped. Harry had finally had his first kiss.

"Oh my God Harry! Who was it? What was it like? How did it feel?" She asked excitedly, she was happy for her best friend. She liked it when Harry had normal teenage moments, it didn't happen often and it was uplifting in a weird way.

"Gross Hermione! Please don't answer those questions Harry. I don't wanna know the deep details" Ron said, looking slightly green.

Harry finally returned to his normal colouring and he looked at Hermione and shook his head.

"Not here, I will tell you when we get to the common room later" he said, he didn't need to be broadcasting his private life in the great hall.

Hermione nodded in understanding and acceptance. She could wait for details.

The three sat in a relatively joyful mood and started to fill their plates with food.

Hermione noticed Severus enter the great hall and settle down into his usual seat. They glanced at each other for a moment before averting their eyes back to their own meals. Hermione fought to hide a smile, ever since his birthday, Hermione had been constantly thinking about Severus. She wanted to stay in Severus' rooms again but with the state of things at the moment, it was an unnecessary risk and not worth taking, they did still see each other once a week for her occlumency lessons, which she was getting much better at. Finally.

Harry's cough startled her back to the present and she looked at him. Harry looked at her with an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

Hermione's heartbeat quickened. Had Harry noticed that? Oh Gods, what if he had noticed the small interaction between her and Severus?

Hermione was internally panicking but she played it cool and hoped for the best.

"Sorry Harry, my heads full of OWL stuff, did you say something?" She asked him, hoping she was still inconspicuous.

Harry just shook his head.

"I didn't say anything, you just looked like you were away with the fairies and I thought you needed bringing back" Harry told her with a smug smile.

Hermione just nodded in appreciation.

"Thanks Harry but I wasn't THAT out of it, I was just recalibrating. You know I never think about something so hard that it makes me completely unaware of my surroundings" she told him, trying to absolutely convince him that she wasn't thinking about Severus' marvellous hands and the things they could do to her.

Harry just nodded at her, trying not to grin at her and seemed to accept her explanation.

"Hey Mione, you've spilt tomato ketchup down yer school shirt, that's gonna stain that is" Ron told her having completely missed what her and Harry had been conversing about before he had stopped paying attention to his food and focused on his friends.

Hermione blushed a deep red whilst Harry just burst out with uncontrollable laughter, that his stomach hurt and his eyes water.

"You knew about that didn't you?" Hermione said embarrassed.

Harry smiled at her, still trying to gain a hold of himself and control of his emotions, the other tables and the teachers were being to take interest in the trio.

Hermione reached across the table with her fork and playfully jabbed Harry in the back of his hand with it.

"Arse" she muttered at him, trying to take any attention off of her.

"Abuse!" Harry exclaimed as he over dramatically rubbed the back of his hand.

The Gryffindor's chuckled at the antics of the trio, Hermione's 'violence' towards the boys was sometimes the highlight of the whole day.

"Mr Potter, Miss Granger, I expect two fifth year students to have better table manners than that! What? Was the pair of you raised by pigs?" Umbridge asked them sternly.

"I'd much rather be a pig than a marshmallow" Ron muttered under his breath to Neville. Those close by heard the comment and started quietly sniggering quietly.

Umbridge hadn't heard the insult but she had guessed it had been something to do with her as the students were looking at her and laughing. She fumed silently and huffed as she walked out the great hall with as much dignity as she could muster.

As soon as the doors to the great hall had slammed closed behind her, there was a moment's pause. Then the Gryffindor table whooped and cheered, they loved messing with Umbridge, that was also a highlight for them.

Minerva's voice rang out across the hall.

"Settle down, settle down students. Let's have peace and cordial manners at the dinner table please" she said, although you could tell that she wanted to join in.

The Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's wanted to join in the fun and frolics but didn't dare and the Slytherin's looked angry that the Gryffindor's had insulted one of their favourite teachers. However, Draco looked locked eyes with Hermione and tried to fight back a smirk. Hermione noticed.

Even Severus was fighting a grin.

After dinner, Minerva made her way to Albus' office, the two of them had not had a private meeting in a long time, she was still pissed at him for what he had put her honorary daughter through but at the same time she wanted to cherish the peace that they had at the moment because she knew that they would all be at war soon and she didn't want to go into a war hating the people that were going to be fighting beside her.

She went into his private rooms and sat down in her favourite chair opposite Albus and poured herself a cup of tea.

"You wished to see me Albus?" she questioned him as she relaxed back into the chair.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment and then looked her in the eye, that meant that he wanted an honest answer out of her.

"What is the exact nature of relationship between Sevwerus and Miss Granger?" he asked casually.

Minerva's eyes widened and she almost spat out her tea.

"I have no idea of what you are talking about Albus" she tried to sound shocked that Albus would suggest that anything inappropriate was happening between the two peoples who had been mentioned.

"Now Minerva, don't make me seem foolish. I may be an old man and losing my touch but I am aware that there is more than meets the eye when the most withdrawn man I know allows the student that he has spent the last few years complaining about, to have the password and ability to enter his personal rooms" Albus told her.

Minerva gulped her tea and thought about her answer as she gave it.

"There is something more between them than student and teacher, perhaps it is mutual respect and even a tentative friendship. I believe that Severus is the person that Hermione trusts the most, in the entire world and I believe that Severus enjoys her more intellectual side as she is able to provide stimulating conversation without annoying him. She also seems to have grown up quite a bit, if you hadn't noticed, and she has calmed down a bit in regards to her participation in her classes. I think Severus finds her tolerable. Also, you gave Severus the task of being Hermione's guardian over the summer and with what happened, I believe the pair bonded. Severus is known for being a bit of a recluse but I do not believe that he would have left the poor girl to suffer. So yes, I believe that their relationship goes beyond what you would expect between a professor and a student but I believe that this relationship that they have is justified" Minerva told him sternly, she would defend the both of them until the day she died, she would not let Albus Dumbledore interfere and manipulate their lives anymore.

"I understand Minerva, I hope you can understand my concerns though. I was thoroughly caught off guard when I found Miss Granger sat so comfortably and at ease in one of Severus' chairs in his personal rooms" Dumbledore stated looking at her pointedly.

"Are you telling the truth Minerva?" he asked her.

Minerva nodded, she had been completely honest in her evaluation of the pair. She believed that there was something more to them but had never been given any concrete evidence that confirmed those beliefs, therefore, she was not technically lying and it was because of that, that her conscious remained clear.

"Things will get messy for the both of them if anything further occurs Minerva, I believe that the relationship they have now is harmless but it will become more and that is when it will become more dangerous for them. That girl will ruin the best spy and probably our only chance that we have at winning this war" he said with great ire in his voice.

"I'm sure it won't come to that Albus" she said quietly.

"For all our sakes, I hope it doesn't either" Dumbledore replies.

Minerva waited a moment before continuing the conversation.

"But don't you think that it will make Severus better and stronger? Severus will after all these years have something to fight for, a reason to actually be the best spy and warrior that he can possibly be - not that he isn't already the most accomplished soldier in the whole of the bloody Order, Severus is the strongest man I know and I suggest that you leave him and his personal life alone. You've already seen how protective of Hermione he is, you damned near though he was going to kill you on the spot outside that night outside the hospital wing. If you take away anything more than you already have from Severus, I can promise you right now that you will be practically kissing the best chance we have at winning this war away" Minerva told the aged headmaster firmly.

Minerva swore at that moment that Albus was almost putting like a child. He really did not like it when he didn't get his way.

Minerva sighed and dropped the conversation, she just hoped her words sunk into his thick skull before he did any irreparable damage.

The two settled back into an awkward conversation.

Back in the Gryffindor Tower, once back in the common room, the whole house was in a happy mood and they were all laughing and joking with each other. It had been a good evening, everyone was in high spirits and although everyone was now getting into study mode, everyone seemed relaxed and it was enough to make you believe that, for just one moment, that there wasn't a war right on their doorstep.

After everyone had danced and had a good sing-song, people began heading up to bed not really wanting to leave the fun as they knew that tomorrow they would all have to get back to the reality of school life. In the early hours of the morning, after everyone had headed up to bed and were probably all in deep sleeps, Ron, Harry and Hermione were sat in front of the fireplace in the common room discussing Harry's first kiss.

"Well Cho and I have been getting on really well recently and she's just so stressed and upset about everything that is happening around her both in school and with her parents. Her mum could get fired and it looked like she just needed to relax" Harry explained.

"So you let her relax on your lips?" Ron joked.

Harry lightly punched Ron's shoulder in jest and the three of them laughed.

Ron found a sports paper that had all the latest gossip on Quidditch and completely zoned his friends out.

"What about you Hermione?" Harry asked her.

"What about me what Harry?" She asked him confused.

"Have you been smooching with anyone recently?" Harry asked curiously.

Hermione flushed and looked down.

"I knew it!" Harry exclaimed, grabbing Ron's attention.

"Has Hermione got a secret crush?" Ron teased.

Hermione refused to say anymore, she refused to cave. It could literally man life or death if she ever said anything to anyone.

"Come on" Ron whined, wanting to know her secrets.

"I'm not saying anything, shouldn't you two be focusing on your upcoming exams rather than girls and your friends private lives?" She said irritably, hoping that they would leave it alone. She hated lying to them as it was, she didn't want to have to make any more lies.

"Buzzkill Bob is awake" Ron groaned.

"I don't need a lecture, I'm gonna take my Quidditch paper and read it in bed. I advise you to run now Harry, while you can, see you upstairs mate. Night Hermione" Ron groaned.

Without looking back, Ron made a mad dash for his dorm, he didn't want to receive a lecture about schoolwork, from Hermione, tonight. It had been such a good day and he knew they would end up arguing, he didn't want to ruin the good mood.

Hermione and Harry were still staring at each other.

"Looking forward to potions tomorrow Mione?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded, trying to seem not as enthusiastic as she felt.

"You know I enjoy potions Harry. I want to be a healer. Of course, I'm looking forward to it" she stated nonchalantly.

"Too bad Snape teaches eh?" He said smoothly, still watching her carefully.

"Professor Snape, Harry" she said.

The pair were silent for a moment.

"How's Malfoy?" Harry asked, knowing that the two unlikely friends had gotten a lot closer recently.

"He's fine, nothing to report on that front" she replied carefully.

"He's been wandering around the castle at all hours, I don't know what he's up to" he said.

"You've been following Draco? Harry, you need to be careful, if you're caught by Umbridge-" she was cut of her lecture.

"Relax Hermione, I didn't even leave my bed, I've been following him on the map" he informed her.

Hermione looked at him.

"Harry, you really shouldn't infringe on someone's privacy like that" Hermione chastised.

"I suppose, I see a lot of weird things on that map" Harry said and paused.

Hermione was beginning to think about Harry and the map and wondered if he had ever seen her late night movements around the castle. She was starting to sweat. She looked at Harry.

"You must really like the dungeons, you spend an awful lot of time there" Harry stated.

Hermione looked at him like a fish out of water. Harry began to stand up and make his way towards the stairs that would take him to his dorm. He turned back at the last moment.

"Yup, you will always be surprised about you see appear on that map" Harry gave Hermione a meaningful stare.

"Good night sis" he grinned at her as he went up the stairs.

Hermione stared after Harry in shock. How the fuck was she supposed to explain that away? Damn Harry and his trouble causing map.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Thank you everyone! I got such a positive response from the last chapter and I'm glad you're all still enjoying this story! I apologise for any spelling/grammar mistakes, I promise I do proof read every chapter I post - some things must just get overlooked and I promise to do better. This story is now going to go at a faster pace and I think this chapter is one a few of you have been waiting for...it's cliché but I think the timing is right. Enjoy, Many Thanks! :)**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Possible mentions of sexual assault, violence, bad language and sexual situations.**

Chapter 39 – Harry, Hogsmeade and Valentine's Day

Hermione's nerves were in tatters, she kept expecting Harry to say something to someone. In reality, Hermione trusted Harry and knew that he wouldn't really tell anyone but the fear of just him knowing freaked her out. It had been about a week since their talk in the common room and she was still fretting but Harry seemed to be absorbed in the world of Cho Chang, since their kiss the other day, Harry had been spending every free moment with her.

It was the first week of February and it was a Hogsmeade weekend and Harry and Cho were going on an official first date, Harry was excited but also nervous that he was going to cock everything up.

"Right let's get going. I'm looking forward to this trip. What are you and Cho planning on doing Harry?" Hermione asked him.

Harry shrugged.

"I think we're going to go and shop in the town and then we will probably go to the pub for lunch" Harry told her.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked her.

"I'm just going to do a bit of shopping, stock up on a few things" she said.

"Are you going on your own?" Harry asked her.

"Well I'm planning on walking to Hogsmeade with Ron, Neville and the boys but I don't think I will stay with them, I think they want to go and look at Quidditch stuff" Hermione told him.

Harry shook his head.

"Apparently the guys are going to the joke shop, it's Valentine's Day next week and obviously because they're all single they're going to get some joke Valentine's stuff. They're planning on pranking the girls" he told her.

Hermione groaned, she would never understand their boisterous ways but she accepted them anyway.

"God, I forgot about Valentine's Day. It's the one day a year where everyone finds someone to rut up against. And the girls go all googly eyed over secret love letters" Hermione said. She didn't mind Valentine's Day really but when your roommates are Lavender and Pavarti, you tend to end up hating the goddamn day.

Harry chuckled at her response and the two headed towards the quad where they had arranged to meet everyone after breakfast.

"How are you celebrating Valentine's? I take it you will do something with Cho" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded. That was pretty much the plan that he had in mind. He would have to think of something to do for her. Maybe not something romantic but at least something to cheer her up because Hermione had been right, Cho was really struggling this year, even if she put on a brave face about it all.

"What about you? Doing anything with a special someone?" Harry grinned, trying to ruffle her feathers.

Hermione tried to act nonchalant.

"Nope, nothing special. Doing what I do every year probably, reading a book whilst munching on the pity chocolates that I get from you all" she grinned back. That really was how she typically spent Valentine's.

Harry nodded.

"He doesn't seem like the type to celebrate that day, does he?" Harry said, leaving heavy implications in the air.

Hermione froze mid step and let out a deep breath.

"Look, Harry, about that, I just-" she started to say.

Harry cut her off with a look.

"Honestly Hermione, it's really none of my business I don't know what's going and I don't want to know. The less I know the better. Just be careful, I don't trust him and don't worry I won't say a word to anyone" Harry told her.

Hermione smiled at him; glad that he was accepting what would be a massive scandal should information ever get out.

"However, if he does hurt you-" Harry began the typical protective big brother speech but was cut off with a look from her Hermione.

"-yeah you're right, I would be able to do fuck all" Harry finished.

Hermione laughed at him as the pair approached the group of Gryffindor's who had been waiting for them.

"Thanks Harry" she said.

Harry smiled back.

"Right, Hogsmeade" Harry declared and everyone cheered, they were looking forward to getting away from the castle for the day.

Once at Hogsmeade Harry and Cho broke away from the group to get their date started and Hermione joined the guys with their trip to the joke shop.

She wondered if she should get Severus something. It seemed ridiculous, Hermione Granger did not do Valentine's, she wasn't good at this. Maybe she should go to the sweet shop and just get him those chocolates that he likes. Oh gods why was everything so bloody difficult!

"Earth to Hermione, you awake in there?" Ron asked her snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yes sorry, what were you saying?" She asked him.

"We're done here are you ready to go? Do you need more time? We will wait. We're going to the sweet shop next" Ron told her.

"Nope I'm ready to go, let's go get some sweets" she smiled at him. She was internally shaking her head; nothing ever came between Ron and his sweets.

Later, Hermione was putting her goodies from Hogsmeade away and she lay down on her bed. She was ready for an early night tonight. Harry and Cho hadn't returned from their date yet and Hermione was too exhausted to stay up waiting for them. She would find out the details tomorrow hopefully. She settled down for the night and went to sleep. The following week was a blur.

A week later and Severus had conveniently planned Hermione's occlumency lesson on Valentine's Day evening. Severus had never done Valentine's Day and the thought of the whole day made him nauseas but he felt different about it today.

He felt that he needed to do something special for his Hermione, even if it wasn't a traditional Valentine's Day he still wanted to let Hermione know that she was special to him and he didn't know how else to do it. If he was being honest with himself, he was absolutely terrified, he was actually trying to impress a female, something he'd never really done before and he here he was telling himself that the sweat that was beginning to drip down his back was caused by his Bunsen burner in the freezing cold dungeon. Merlin help him! His nerves were in tatters and she would be coming soon for her lesson.

Severus sat and took a couple of deep breaths to calm his nerves. He must've been sat there for longer than what it felt like because soon, he heard a timid knock on his door.

"Enter" he said, trying to mask his nervousness.

Hermione walked in dressed in her casual clothes and with her bag hanging from her shoulder.

"Evening Severus" she said and she grinned at him.

He then stepped aside so that she could walk into his quarters. She entered the living room and froze.

There were floating candles lighting the room, along with the roaring fireplace, and in front of the fire Severus had pushed all of his furniture out of the way and had set up a thick blanket on the floor, surrounded by cushions and there in the middle of the blanket was a picnic basket.

She gaped at the scene, it was beautiful and to be honest, she hadn't expected anything like this.

"Oh Severus" she whispered.

She looked back to where he was standing behind her and her heart melted when she noticed that he looked like a lost lamb. He was standing in the corner by the doorway and he had the most uncertain look on his face, he looked scared, he was pale and Hermione wasn't sure if it was the flickering of the floating candles but it looked like his hands were shaking. He was absolutely terrified.

"I um, I've never really-, er, I hope this is-" he stuttered when she looked at him.

Hermione felt a tear slide down her cheek; she had never felt so happy. In that moment, they were the only two people who existed, they were in their own world and nothing could destroy it. She had never felt so loved.

She sniffed and wiped the tear from her face and walked over to where he was still stood looking unsure against the wall.

"You're perfect Severus" she whispered to him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him lightly on the lips.

The kiss was sheer love and belonging, a feeling that neither of them had ever felt before and as they kissed Hermione knew that this was where she wanted to stay for the rest of her life, in his arms.

The two separated and Severus took her hand and gently led her to the blanket and they sat down.

"I've never celebrated this day before I didn't know what to do, I wanted to do something special but I wasn't sure if-" he was cut off when Hermione placed a finger lightly against his lips.

"Severus, I wasn't expecting all of this, I know you're not really the type to celebrate these types of things but what you have done tonight is the most beautiful, wonderful and heart-warming gesture anyone has ever done for me. Severus thank you, this is amazing" she said to him and gave him her fondest smile.

He smiled back, almost looking shy and reached for the picnic. He felt a little nervous still, it wasn't like he had a magnificent meal prepared for her or anything like that but he had prepared sandwiches, her favourite fruit and some treats for them, accompanied with the Rosé wine that he knew his Hermione loved.

They sat in bliss as they ate and laughed about nonsense that seemed so trivial in the world considering what was happening out there but this, this was paradise.

After they'd eaten, Hermione lay back against Severus' chest and both just stared at the fire, silently and contentedly. Hermione stared into the fire and felt like she was invincible, she felt new, she felt strong and she knew that she could do anything as long as she was in this man's arms.

She turned to Severus and started kissing him once again, this kiss was a little more passionate than the one they had shared in the doorway but Hermione wanted passion, she was ready for passion and she wasn't letting Severus go.

They both moaned as their hands roamed each other's bodies and eventually Hermione stood up and looked towards Severus' bedroom and then she looked back at him. He sensed that she was ready to go to bed so he stood up and extinguished the candles and the fire, he then picked Hermione up bridal style and carried her into his rooms and set her on his bed.

He undressed so that he was ready for bed and he noticed her doing the same. He averted his eyes until she told him that she was decent and he joined her in bed.

They lay next to each other just watching one another.

Hermione leaned in for another kiss and she pressed herself right up against him. After a couple of minutes of snogging, Hermione let her hands roam down his stomach and played with his snail trail, one of Hermione's favourite spots on Severus ' body, not just because she liked playing with the hair that was there but because she knew that it drove him wild. It was a particular sweet spot of his.

Severus groaned through the kiss as her hands began to wander lower and lower until her hand had found its way inside his boxers and was wrapped around his now hard dick. Severus was still moaning in pleasure and he began playing with her breasts.

Hermione boldly took off his boxers so that he was now lying completely bare in front of her, she sat back and removed her top. She didn't wear a bra to bed so she was now sat in front of him in just her knickers.

Severus looked at her like she was the most beautiful creature that he had ever seen. She felt sexy. She paused.

"Severus, I'm ready" she whispered, looking into his eyes.

Severus' heart stopped, he didn't want her to feel pressured, and he trusted her to tell him if he was going too far. He took a deep breath and nodded.

"If you need me to stop-" he left the sentence hanging.

She nodded in understanding and she lay back down beside him and pulled herself close to him. Severus took a moment to just appreciate her in every single way and his hand found a stray curl of Hermione's hair and he played with it affectionately.

Severus leaned in and kissed her again, this time they took things very slow. Severus was hard and he was ready whenever she was, he slowly moved his hand down to her knickers and gently rubbed her through the fabric.

He could feel that she was dripping wet and he could tell that she was sufficiently prepared for him.

He gently and slowly pulled her knickers down her legs, not looking at her until she nodded at Severus that she was alright to continue.

She took a deep breath and looked into Severus' eyes, she saw respect, admiration and pure love radiating from his eyes and there was the highest level of mutual trust between the two.

She nodded to him, indicating that she was ready and Severus slowly moved his body so that it covered hers. He allowed his fingers to wander down to her womanhood and slowly inserted a finger into her channel.

Hermione gasped, Severus froze on the spot and was about ready to pull his hand back when he noticed the look of wonder on her face. She was basking in the sensation of his finger being intimately inside her. She smiled at Severus and waited for him to continue.

Severus gulped and he added another finger and then another, hoping that he was preparing her correctly, he moved his fingers inside of her and used his thumb to service her clitoris, she shrieked in pleasure and she could feel her whole insides pulsing, she was close, they both knew that.

Severus began to massage her clit a little harder and within a minute she was thrown over the edge. She moaned in pleasure as she orgasmed hard and could feel sweat gathering in her forehead. She was so comfortable with what was going on that she had never felt so confident in her life. After she calmed from her orgasm, she looked back up at Severus whose breathing was just as laboured and he was staring at her in amazement.

"Please Severus" she said, she knew that she wanted to do this, she was ready for this and she needed this.

"Are you sure my love?" He asked her gently.

"I've never been so sure about anything in my life but this, right here and now, I'm ready Severus" she told him looking him in the eye.

He searched her eyes for a moment before turning back to the situation at hand. He once again covered his body with hers and he slowly lined himself up with her entrance.

As he slowly moved forward and placed just the tip inside of her, he watched her for any uncertainty, if there was any hint of her uncertainty, he would be stopping.

She was getting used to Severus being partially inside her and moved her hips slightly to indicate that she was alright for him to continue.

He slowly and gently inched himself further and further inside her until he was all the way in and paused. He knew that she no longer had her virginity but he also knew that she would most likely still be quite tight and it may still be tender for her if he was to go at the standard pace. He looked into her eyes.

"You are perfect and absolutely beautiful" he whispered to her.

"As are you Severus" she whispered back.

Hermione took a moment to get used to this new feeling; she was shocked at how gentle and just how nice it all felt. She wanted more and she wiggled her hips slightly, feeling Severus inside of her. She was still a little tight and she had braced herself for any pain but there was none. Severus had made sure that she would feel no more discomfort than was expected in this situation.

She paused as Severus groaned, he looked slightly strained. Was she hurting him?

Severus took a couple of steady breaths, Hermione's hip wiggling was not helping his current arousal and he was determined to make this last. He looked down at her and noticed the worry in her face.

"I'm not hurting you-" she asked but Severus shook his head.

"No love I just needed a moment to control myself or this will be over before it starts" he said.

Hermione understood what he was telling her and blushed shyly at him. He smiled at her as he felt her gently thrust her hips up to meet his.

Severus got the message and slowly started thrusting his hips back and forth and finding the correct pace that Hermione was comfortable moving at.

She moaned loudly once the rhythm had been set and they were holding each other as close as possible and Severus was kissing every inch of her skin that he could reach.

They both felt their climaxes approaching, Hermione was murmuring incoherently as she orgasmed for the second time that night and her orgasm was Severus' undoing. He came with a roar and Hermione watched him, she had never seen an expression so beautifully animalistic. She felt elated, she felt loved and she felt free.

Severus slowly pulled out of her and lay beside her, she could feel that her muscles aches and she knew she would probably be a little sore in the morning but she didn't care, she was in heaven right now.

She lay there for a few moments before she felt Severus' finger stroking her cheek, wiping away the stray tears she had shed at the pure loving emotion she had just experience.

"Are you alright love?" Severus whispered to her, she was crying and he was so worried that he had hurt her. She turned on her side to face in and pulled him close to her and snuggled into his side.

"That was amazing Severus" she whispered as she looked into his eyes. His eyes were swimming with emotion and she could have sworn that she saw a tear build up in his own eye before he blinked and it was gone. His eyes weary, as were hers. They were both exhausted.

"It should never have been anything other than amazing my love" he told her, voice thick with emotion.

She nodded.

"I love you Severus" she said sleepily.

"I love you too my darling" he whispered back as he watched her smile at him before slowly falling asleep in his arms.

He kissed the top of her head gently.

"I love you so much" he said as he too fell asleep.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: Chapter Warnings – Possible mentions of sexual assault, violence, bad language and other sexual situations.**

 **A/N: Once again thank you all for your responses and support, I'm glad you are all still enjoying the story, I think you all have been waiting for this chapter (and the next one). Enjoy! Many thanks everyone! :)**

Chapter 40 – The Morning After, Order Meeting and The Kneazle's out of the Bag

Hermione felt something lightly brushing against her forehead, she forced her eyes open and looked into the eyes of Severus who was lightly stroking her head.

"Good morning" she whispered.

Severus smiled at her.

"Morning love" he whispered back and kissed her cheek.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her gently.

Hermione moved her hips slightly so she could give him an answer and she grimaced.

"Slightly stiff and a little sore" she blushed.

Severus noticed her blush and noticed that she was a little embarrassed about having to mention something that was so intimate. Severus nearly chuckled but decided against it as he didn't want her to feel like he was laughing at her.

"I will get you some potions to help with that, they will give you a little relief but I strictly advise against any running or excitable activity for a couple of days" he told her.

She blushed again and went to bury her head under the duvet. But he stopped her by sitting up and pulling her into his lap and cuddling her.

This made her aware that they were both still very much naked. She paused for a moment, waiting for the terrible feeling that would have her scrambling for her clothes but there was nothing. She felt peaceful and well rested; she had never felt so good.

She could never have imagined that sex could feel that good, that amazing. She was lucky, when the other girls spoke about such things in the dormitory, they often hinted at their one night stands and never about having an actual loving relationship with someone. She knew, of course, that she and Severus were not in an actual relationship, he did not seem like the type. But she would take his love for as long as he would give it to her and she would consider herself to have been fortunate enough to have had it in the first place. After Sirius, she had never dreamed that sex would be anything but painful; she had always frowned and had always wanted to laugh cynically at the other girls when they had described how sex had been so emotional and earth shattering for them. But now, Hermione could relate and she never wanted to move from where she was ever again.

"Thank you Severus, last night was amazing and was better than what I had imagined it could ever be" she whispered her thanks to him.

"It should have been that way from the start" he told her again.

She nodded in agreement and bit her lip, she refused to feel anything but happiness today and she reached up so that she could gently kiss Severus.

Severus kissed back gently and they stayed like that for a few moments, in their happy bubble, they both knew they would have to leave soon and go back to reality but neither truly wanted to.

Severus broke the kiss and winced, he started to get up.

"Sorry love, nature calls" he said as he walked out the bedroom and towards the bathroom.

Hermione giggled and lay back down on the bed; she couldn't believe that she had finally felt what it was truly like to have sex. She felt amazing and she felt loved, she couldn't ask for more in that moment.

A few minutes later Severus came back into the room, carrying a tray.

"Breakfast in bed for the lady" he said, smiling at her.

She found that she was extremely hungry, the breakfast Severus had put together consisted of a selection of bacon, sausages and eggs – a mini version of a full English actually – and some apple juice. She wasn't normally a huge breakfast eater but today it seemed her stomach disagreed with her normal breakfast routine.

Hermione beamed at him and sat up, Severus was so sweet and she had been made breakfast in bed, she was so lucky to have him.

They ate breakfast and Hermione got up and winced, she really was sore but she really needed to use the bathroom and she knew she would have to get dressed soon, she knew Harry would probably come down here if she didn't made an appearance soon.

Severus noticed her wince and went over to her. She had already informed him that she was feeling some discomfort from their activities and he would be damned if he did not help her in some way, it was his fault that she was feeling discomfort in the first place.

"You're not going anywhere yet, I'm going to run you a bath and put some healing salts in the water, it should make you feel better" he told her, not giving her a chance to respond before he went back to the bathroom and she heard him turning the bath on.

She made her way to the bathroom and watched as Severus poured healing potions into the water. He noticed she was there and turned to her. He had a slight look of shame and a hint of self-loathing present in his facial features. Hermione frowned at his expression, she did not know why he was looking at her like that.

"I didn't mean to cause you such discomfort" he told her.

Hermione realised that his facial expression was because he blamed himself for her discomfort, she would not allow him to feel like that. At the end of the day, it couldn't be helped, she was aware even before they had even begun to have sex last night that she was likely to be sore this morning. She shook her head; it wasn't his fault at all, not from her point of view anyway.

"It's not your fault Severus" she told him.

He nodded but still did not accept her response.

Once the bath was run, Severus turned to leave so that Hermione could bathe but Hermione stopped him.

"Stay" she said as she slowly lowered herself into the bath.

Severus hesitated for a moment, having had intimate relations was one thing but for some reason, watching her have a bath seemed to be another level of intimate. Severus, after his moment of hesitation, did as she asked and put the toilet seat down so he could sit on it and talk to her while she relaxed and let the water work its magic.

After she was done, Severus helped her step out of the bath as her muscles were still a bit stiff and she dried herself and dressed herself.

Hermione went to the living room where Severus was waiting for her. She knew they would have to leave now to put in an appearance. Although it was a Sunday, people would still notice that they were missing but Hermione didn't want to leave.

"I suppose we should put in our appearances then" she whispered regrettably.

Severus looked just as sad that their special night was about to end. But he knew that she would come back when she wanted to and that there would be many more nights like the previous one to come and he smiled at her.

"Yes we should, it would look suspicious otherwise" he muttered.

He pulled Hermione to him and they shared one last passionate embrace before she left. He waited about 10 minutes before he to left the room and headed towards the great hall.

He knew that there was an Order meeting this afternoon and he wondered if he would see Albus or Minerva before then.

He walked into the great hall and found Minerva still sat at the head table, still sipping her morning tea. She noticed Severus approach and smiled warmly at him.

"Hello Severus, how are you this morning?" She asked him.

"Fine, you?" He asked her.

"I'm well thank you, how was last night?" She asked him.

Severus' heart sped up, she couldn't know what had happened between him and Hermione could she? He was aware that he was taking longer than normal to answer, he knew he had gone pale and he could feel sweat beginning to form on his head and neck.

Minerva looked at him with interest before she followed up her question.

"It's just that I had no sheepish students coming to my office saying that they'd been caught snogging in the alcoves by you" she said.

Severus almost breathed a sigh of relief. She was talking about his patrol that he had to do yesterday evening.

"Nothing I couldn't handle Minerva" he smirked, remembering what punishments he had dealt out to those he had caught red handed.

Minerva smiled and shook her head, Severus would never change.

The pair talked for a while and had something quick to eat before heading towards Minerva's office to floo to headquarters for the Order meeting.

They were the first ones at Grimmauld Place and upon arrival; the first thing that Severus noticed was an angry looking Nymphadora and a miserable looking Remus and a pale looking Sirius. He dismissed them immediately; he didn't care for petty arguments between them as so he left the room and headed for the library.

Tonks had been unhappy since the Order meeting that had taken place at Christmas. She knew there was something going on between Sirius, Remus and Severus but no one was willing to tell her what was going on and it was frustrating her.

Remus had been coming to Grimmauld Place as little as possible in order to avoid having to answer her questions and Sirius just would not say anything at all.

Tonks knew she shouldn't have done it but she went through some of Remus' things and had found a letter about a meeting taking place between Remus and Severus so that they could have a private discussion. Tonks knew that the meeting had taken place that day in the library where Severus had punched Sirius. It meant only one thing, Severus knew exactly what was going on and she was going to do everything she could to find out what was going on.

She watched as the potions professor headed towards the library and so she got up and followed him.

She entered the library and Severus immediately looked up at her from his seated position on the chair in front of the fireplace.

"Miss Tonks, what a pleasure" he said sarcastically.

Tonks rolled her eyes and approached him.

"Professor, I'm going to be blunt, what the hell is going on?" She said as she folded her arms and waited for an answer.

Severus raised his eyebrow at the display.

"I'm not even going to pretend to know what you are referring to" he said dismissively.

Tonks was having none of that.

"Don't play stupid, it's beneath you. You know what I mean, you know there is something going on between Remus and Sirius, and I want to know what it is" she pouted but still stood her ground.

"I don't care much for their childish arguments Nymphadora, I suggest you ask them" he said.

She huffed.

"I have, they won't answer me and Remus is coming over less and less as a way to avoid me. I'm frustrated and I know you know what's going on" she told him.

Severus smirked.

"Ah, so this is about your lover not visiting you to attend to your needs. Your...frustration...has not been sated and so you feel the need to find out what is going on so you can get some attention" he smirked even more at her. It was just like she was a student once more, he relished in humiliating and making his students feel uncomfortable – even his ex-students.

She blushed, bright red, Severus was correct on the one hand but on the other, she really did want to know what was going on.

"Whatever, I know you know something because I found a letter between you and Remus-" she stopped talking, realising she had just admitted to snooping.

Severus grinned darkly.

"Looking through your lover's personal correspondence, naughty Miss Tonks and dare I say, it is very Slytherin of you, impressive. I wonder what would happen if he should find out. He would never trust you again; now I imagine that, that could have major implications on a couple's sex life, couldn't it?" He told her.

Tonks groaned, she had just provided a Slytherin with perfect blackmail ammunition and she knew she wasn't going to get the answers she wanted.

"I did look through his things, please don't tell him, I really do like him and it would kill me if he hated me. I will do whatever you want just don't tell him" she begged.

Severus smirked; he was hoping she would say just those words.

"You can leave me alone and never ask me about the matter in which you have been referring to again" he told her.

Tonks glared at him and turned on her heel to stomp out of the room.

"Oh, Miss Tonks" he called after her.

She paused and turned back towards the potions master.

"I understand that Miss Granger has been pestering Minerva about you, perhaps you could send her an owl to shut her up" he told her cryptically, hoping that maybe she would find the answers that she wanted if Hermione was willing to open up. He was lying about Hermione's pestering of course but Tonks would never know about that. He also hated talking about his Hermione like that but he didn't want to raise any suspicions, that wouldn't bode well for anyone.

Tonks looked at him confused before muttering some expletives and curses in Severus' direction before leaving the room.

Severus breathed a sigh of relief as she left. She was poking her nose in matters that she didn't need to meddle in.

Severus got up and headed towards the meeting room. He found that there were two seats left, one next to Tonks and the other next to Black.

He decided to make Black uncomfortable and so took a seat next to him.

Black quickly glanced at him before averting his eyes. Severus continued to stare at Black with menace and he noticed Black start to sweat. He grinned in satisfaction.

"Enough Snape" Moody growled.

Severus turned towards Albus who was staring at him, along with a smirking Minerva.

"Anything to share Severus?" Albus asked.

Severus nodded.

"The Dark Lord plans to attack the ministry before the summer. There has been no official date set for this but it will happen" Severus said carefully.

"Did Voldemort say why?" Minerva asked.

"He is looking for something and he believes that what he is looking for is in the ministry and he plans to go after it. He believes that it will be a useful weapon that will help his progress to winning this war" Severus said.

The Order was silent and they all looked at each other, hoping someone would say something to that.

"Did he say what it was he was looking for?" Moody asked.

"No, the Dark Lord hasn't told anybody what it is. Like I said, whatever it is, he thinks it's in the ministry so he's going to be going after it soon" Severus said again.

Dumbledore quickly went into setting plans with Arthur and Moody and the other ministry workers in order to ensure that there would be more security within the ministry.

Once the meeting was adjourned, everyone left the room. Severus waited until the hustle and bustle had gone and went to stand to leave the room.

Upon leaving the room he heard shouting and much banging about upstairs. He immediately went onto defensive mode and ran up the stairs. He noticed that the noise was coming from Lupin's room and hesitated. What if Lupin had Tonks in his room? That was something he definitely didn't want to see.

However, the two voices were male and so Severus entered to room and paused at the sight.

Lupin and Black were having a full on fight and it wasn't magical duelling, they were physically fighting. There were punches being thrown and kicks, there was blood, there were bruises and Severus didn't know how to react.

The remaining Order members had clearly heard the commotion as well and had come to see what the fuss was all about. They all watched from the doorway as the two former best friends were fighting like muggles.

"What the hell are you boys doing?" Albus yelled.

The boys suddenly halted both realising that they were no longer alone. They both looked battered and angry. Sirius said nothing but Remus rounded on the aged headmaster.

"What are we doing? The better question is what the fuck have you been doing?" Remus snarled, shocking everyone.

The headmaster looked surprised at the turn of events.

"You have done nothing and that's the problem. You turn your head, you don't help. What happened to help will always be given to those who ask for it? Does that apply to everyone but her?" Remus yelled at Albus.

"Now Remus-" Minerva started trying to calm him down.

"NO! Answer me old man, what did she do to deserve any of this?" He shouted.

Everyone was looking at the headmaster confused. Sirius looked nervous and Minerva and Severus remained calm.

"Fuck you all, leave me alone" Remus roared as he headed towards the door.

Everyone parted quickly to allow him to pass, scared to stop him. They knew it was nearing the full moon so he was a little more unhinged than normal but now everyone turned towards the headmaster in question.

Minerva went after Remus and left everybody waiting for the headmaster's response.

"Tell them" Severus said, tone even.

Albus glared at Severus. The remaining Order members: Tonks, Arthur, Molly and Black, were staring at the silent conversation that was occurring between Severus and Albus.

"Tell us what?" Molly asked, sensing something was going on.

"What did Remus mean Severus? Who is 'she' and what did Albus do to her?" Arthur questioned.

Albus was still glaring at Severus, daring him to say something.

Severus sighed and headed towards the door, he would never win against them. Then he paused, this was for his Hermione. Severus turned towards the questioning stares.

"Black sexually assaulted Miss Granger whilst she stayed here during the summer, twice. Albus knew and he covered it" Severus said, unfazed by Albus' anger and the gasps that echoed around the room.


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: Once again thank you all for the reviews and comments and to anyone else who has been reading this story. I think this is the chapter you have been waiting for and I hope that its alright. Once again, if there are any questions or anything you want to ask please just ask me and I will answer them. Many Thanks!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Mentions of sexual assault, suicide, bad language and other sexual scenes.**

Chapter 41 – Sirius Black, Severus' Office and Harry's Mistake

Everyone just stared. No one knew what to say, they didn't want to believe the words that had just left Severus' mouth and so they turned to Dumbledore, wanting to be told that none of it was true. They all paused for a moment, thinking about the way in which they had all alienated Hermione during her summer stay, they all remembered the way in which they let her be called awful names as she had accusations flung at her. Everyone felt equally guilty that they had not stepped in or decided to look further, that they took the word of an escaped Azkaban prisoner who was had gone slightly insane due to is imprisonment and believed his stories, his lies, over the word of someone who had been family to them for nearly the last five years. They had wanted to believe the lies because it had been easier than accepting the horrible truth. Then slowly, their internal guilt still filling their stomachs like a lead balloon, their thoughts turned towards Albus Dumbledore, Hermione had gone to him for help, she had gone to him to tell him what had happened, the rest of the present Order members were waiting for an explanation. Molly, Tonks and Minerva were all in tears; Arthur suddenly looked much older and moved to place a comforting hand upon his wife's shoulder.

But Dumbledore could no longer hide the emotions on his face, he looked angry and defeated and that confirmed that Severus' accusation was correct. There was another moment's pause and then all hell broke loose.

"The poor girl! All this time? Albus what the devil have you been playing at? You knew and you stood by and did nothing, the poor girl must've been beside herself! How dare you!" Molly screamed, agonised at the thought of Hermione being hurt. Molly considered Hermione as a daughter and the thought that she had failed one of her children was tearing Molly apart. Arthur tightened his hold on Molly's shoulder trying to keep her calm and then he turned to Albus.

"Albus, after all the years in which we have done your biding, stood by your side, fought at your command and all because we trust you. How do you think we should react to all of this? You let one of our own, one of the smartest, kindest teenagers that I have ever had the privilege to meet and you force her to keep quiet about being sexually assaulted. Once was inexcusable Albus but to stand by and do nothing only for it to happen again? That is pure evil" Arthur said.

Everyone stood and digested his words.

"When exactly did the two assaults take place?" Arthur asked Severus.

"The first assault occurred about a week after she arrived here at the beginning of the summer and the second assault occurred a couple of nights before the students left to go back to Hogwarts, the second one happened the same night I left here and I should have stayed, she did not feel safe and I let her down" Severus said.

Again they all tried to wrap their heads around the information, she had been assaulted before anyone else had even arrived to stay at Grimmauld for the summer and had ignored her and accused her of being a harlot for the majority of their stay, only for another assault to take place whilst everyone was around but by that point, the young girl did not feel as if she could turn to any of them and talk to them. They had all let her down. Arthur's head suddenly snapped up and he gasped.

"That explains the blood" Arthur said solemnly.

"What blood?" Molly asked him.

"When I went to get Hermione's bag on the morning that we left to get the train, I noticed some blood on her bedsheets and there was a couple of drops that I could make out on the floor of the bathroom that was next to her room. I assumed that she had unexpectedly come on her menstrual cycle so I did not say anything as I did not wish to embarrass her, now I know how the blood got there and I feel so stupid for not questioning it to make sure she was alright" Arthur said in disbelief, if he had asked, perhaps she would have told him.

"Actually Arthur, you're not entirely correct. The blood was more likely to be from Miss Granger's wrists when she attempted to cut them open with a razor after the second sexual assault had taken place" Severus said.

Molly, Arthur and Tonks gasped, Hermione had attempted to take her own life because of all of this? Now they truly felt like they had failed her, they did not do their duty and protect her and they had nearly lost her because of it.

"What role do you play in this Professor?" Tonks asked Severus.

Severus' head snapped up and glared at the young Auror.

"I hope you're not asking me if I was involved in the attacks Madame, because I can assure you that, that is a very dangerous thing to say to me at the present time" Severus hissed back at her, she recoiled back from him, as did everyone else, Tonks had not meant it quite like the way in which she had worded it.

"No sir, I meant, you seem to know a lot of the information about what happened and when it took place. I just meant to ask you how you knew about all of this" Tonks tried to recover her mistake.

"Miss Granger told me, she had no choice, she had an intense night terror and she knew that she was not going to be able to dismiss what I had seen with a simple 'I had a bad dream' excuse, so she decided to tell me. I have stuck by her ever since and I am still doing so now" Severus told them all honestly. He did not care what they thought of him, he did not care if they did not believe him or thought he had gone soft but he was not about to sit there and let them accuse him of being just as guilty as they were.

There was an intense moment where they all stared at him in disbelief, they had all known this man for a long time and they could not believe that out of all of them, it was Severus Snape who would become Hermione's confidant.

"So what happens now? What do we do with Sirius?" Arthur asked the headmaster, he was trying to keep calm for Molly's sake but all he wanted to do was cart Sirius Black back to Azkaban. Everyone's attention slowly focused back on the man who had committed the crimes in the first place. Up until a few seconds ago, they had all completely forgotten that he was even in the room.

Dumbledore hesitated, he knew he was in a delicate situation, he knew that Sirius was a valuable member to have fighting alongside them all in the upcoming war; he was a great dueller and could be rather inventive when it came to fighting the other side. However, the problem was that now most of the Order knew about what Sirius had done and there was no way that Dumbledore could just brush the problem away anymore.

Dumbledore huffed, he had never been this stumped over such a complicated predicament before. He was about to respond when Arthur cut in.

"It doesn't matter what you say Dumbledore, Alastor is still wandering around downstairs and I have a feeling that Remus would have hinted at the situation up here by now. I don't think it's your decision anymore" Arthur said as he could see Moody already climbing the stairs towards them.

Dumbledore sighed in defeat once more and Sirius was pale and shaking.

"What's all this then?" Moody snapped at them. He had just run into a very angry werewolf, who had informed him that Black had carried out two counts of sexual assault on an underage Hogwarts student who, at the time, was under the Order's care.

"Of course Snivellus would rat me out to an Auror" Sirius muttered to himself fully believing that Severus had somehow already told Moody about the situation, the shock of the turn of events was slowly wearing off and he was showing his true, immature colours to the rest of the Order.

"Now Alastor let's just keep calm-" Dumbledore began to say but was cut off.

"Is it true Albus? Is what the werewolf told me even remotely true?" Alastor asked the headmaster.

"Remus?" Sirius whispered sadly and unbelievingly, his only friend in the entire world had grassed him up.

"Yes it is" Minerva confirmed.

All eyes turned to her; they'd forgotten that she was there. Dumbledore glared at her for a moment but she glared straight back. Sirius Black was not getting away with it this time.

Alastor growled, he was now back in full Auror mode, even though he wasn't technically one anymore, and he approached Black.

"I have wanted you back behind bars for a long time, almost as much as I have wanted to get my hands of Severus Snape" Moody growled.

Taking out his wand, Moody cast the spell that Auror's used in order to temporarily remove one's ability to cast magic, he bound Sirius and prepared to apparate.

"I've got you, you little shit. I will make sure the guards are EXTRA friendly towards you, perhaps then you might get a taste of your own medicine" Moody smiled darkly.

All Sirius could do was gulp as Moody apparated his arse to the Azkaban holding cells until a formal trial could take place.

Everyone breathed once more and they turned back towards Minerva.

"You knew?" Molly gasped.

Minerva nodded sullenly.

"Why did you not say anything?" Tonks asked bewildered.

Minerva sighed, she had partly not said anything due to Hermione's begging of her not to but the painful truth was that had she wanted to say anything, she would not have been able to talk to anybody about the situation besides those who were already involved.

"A very ancient magical bond exists between the professors and the headmaster at Hogwarts. The headmaster of the institution can call upon a vow of obedience, of sorts, where the employees must, within reason, obey the headmasters command should he believe that the situation be so great that he feel the need to call upon this bond" Minerva said, trying to appear strong and not let a tear fall.

"But, isn't the taking of a bond or a vow a two way process? There has to be compliance on both sides, doesn't there?" Tonks asked; everyone stared at Minerva shocked, had she truly, willingly taken a vow of obedience on a matter as serious as this?

Minerva shook her head.

"My compliance was my signature when I agreed to become a professor at Hogwarts nearly 50 years ago. Like I said, the bond is dated and it has only ever been called upon a handful of times since the school was founded" Minerva told them.

Dumbledore placed his forehead in his hand and rubbed his temples. This would create more of a mess for him now.

"Then how come you can tell us about it now?" Tonks asked.

"Because you know about the situation of which I am not supposed to speak of. I told you, I can talk about the situation as long as those who I am talking to are also aware of the situation. That is why I can now speak freely and Dumbledore will have to release me of my bond as I'm sure Hermione will want me to speak on her behalf at Black's trial" Minerva said.

They all accepted her response, it was confusing and long winded but it was true and they all started talking about the letters they were all going to write to Hermione, all the apologies that they owed her but Severus stopped them.

"I think the best thing for you all to do is to leave her be for now, its going to be devastating enough for her knowing that you all know and that Black has been arrested. She is unsure what she palns to do for Easter but it is likely that she will choose to be where her friends are. So if you can wait a few weeks and let her prepare herself it will make all of this easier for her instead of bombarding her with letters and apologies, it will less overwhelming for this way" Severus told them.

"You think that will be for the best" Tonks asked.

Severus nodded.

"Alright, we won't overwhelm her and will wait for her to come to us when she is ready. But, can you tell her that we are all thinking of her and that we love her and if she is ready to talk to us before Easter then all she has to do is send us an owl?" Arthur requested.

"I will do that Arthur" Severus agreed. They all agreed that this way was the best way forward and Severus left them to stew over the days revelations. Severus wanted to get back to his Hermione.

Severus Snape had left headquarters thinking about the fact that the Order now knew, the Order and how he needed to quickly inform his Hermione before anyone else got to her first.

He got back to the school and walked through the halls like a madman and was relieved to find Hermione conversing with Potter in the great hall. Severus approached her and noticed he already had her attention.

"You need to come with me" he told her seriously.

She gulped, understanding the severity of his tone and immediately grabbed her things and followed him back down to his office.

As soon as the door had closed he turned towards her, he looked worried, as if he didn't know what to do or say next. This was starting to worry Hermione.

"Severus, you're scaring me" Hermione said gently.

Severus looked at her and immediately felt guilty, the poor girl was shaking; she looked truly frightened.

"The Order knows Hermione" his words were whispered but seemed to echo around the room.

Hermione gasped, she wasn't sure how she felt about that. She was relieved but at the same time scared and nervous about the reactions of the Order. Would they believe her?

Severus, sensing her worry, slowly walked over to her and clasped her hands between his.

"Don't worry Hermione, Lupin told Moody what was happening and Moody had already taken Black to Azkaban before I left headquarters. He's not going to hurt you anymore and believe me, by the way Molly Weasley nearly yelled the house down, you will have more support on your side than you can probably imagine right now" Severus told her as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Severus wrapped his arms around her waist and held her for a moment. He then sat down in his office chair and pulled her onto his lap. He was extremely happy that Black was getting exactly what he deserved. It was about time and Severus wished that it had happened sooner.

He kissed the top of Hermione's head.

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

Hermione hesitated for a moment and then nodded. Severus noticed her hesitation and raised an eyebrow at her, silently asking her to explain.

"It's just, I'm satisfied that somethings being done but at the same time, it's taken so long to finally get to this point and now that we're here, it feels almost pointless because I've put it all behind me and moved on. I don't know how to feel, I just don't feel anything really" she said. She meant every word she was happy but she felt that she didn't really care anymore because there were more important things to worry about.

Severus nodded; he understood what she was saying and agreed with her. It had taken far too long for something to be done.

"I should've done something sooner" Severus said.

Hermione shook her head.

"Nope, don't you dare blame yourself, I needed you, I still do and I don't want to even think about what would have happened if you had taken it all into your own hands. I'm just glad to have you by my side Severus" she told him.

Severus stared at her for a moment, she was making sense but that didn't ease his guilt.

Hermione saw this and so leaned up to kiss him, just a short but sweet kiss on the lips. He kissed her back and looked down at her and gave her a small smile.

"And how are you feeling? Are you still sore?" He asked her.

Hermione smirked; her hand slowly made its way from his shoulder, down his chest and stomach and finally settled against his trouser covered cock.

"Are you asking because you're concerned about my comfort or are you wishing for another round?" She asked him seductively.

He groaned in response, she really did have him wrapped around her finger. He leaned down to kiss her again, this time it was a slow and deep kiss. Hermione moaned into the kiss.

They remained like that for a while and soon the heat in the room escalated and they were practically dry humping each other, they were so involved with one another that they didn't hear a timid knock at the door.

Severus groaned loudly at Hermione's ministrations that the person on the other side of the door took that as an invitation to enter. The door hadn't been locked after all.

Harry waltzed into the room and immediately froze as he noticed Hermione sat on the potion professors lap, they were snogging, Snape's hand was up Hermione's shirt and Hermione's hand disappeared down somewhere between the two, where Harry couldn't quite see but it wasn't difficult to guess where that hand was and Harry had to stop thinking before he lost a perfectly good lunch.

Severus and Hermione had immediately separated when they had heard the office door swing shut behind Harry.

"Harry!" Hermione squeaked at him her cheeks flushed bright red.

Severus silenced and warded the door, just like he probably should have done in the first place and glared at Harry.

"Don't you know how to knock Potter" Severus snarled whilst quickly putting his cloak back on to cover up a problem that was being quite persistent.

Harry pretended not to notice.

"My god! I'm sorry, so sorry. I knocked and I thought I was allowed in -" Harry explained really quickly before turning to Hermione.

"I'm so sorry, believe me that was the last thing I wanted to see" Harry apologised to her.

Hermione nodded, still beet red.

"What did you want Potter?" Severus asked him.

"Err, Professor McGonagall came to me, she was looking for Hermione but I didn't tell her where she was. She seemed slightly erratic and a bit worried. Is everything alright Hermione?" He asked her.

Hermione nodded but Harry didn't look so sure. Severus took over for her.

"Mr Potter, your mutt that you call family has finally got what was coming to him. The whole Order knows about his extra activities and is currently dealing with him. I have a feeling that Moody is hauling his arse to Azkaban" Severus told him.

Harry looked shocked for a second and then looked at Hermione to analyse her reaction. She looked calm, relaxed and like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Harry smiled.

"Well, it's about time, don't you think?" He said.


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: Once again, thank you very much! I'm glad you all enjoyed the previous chapter, it was so difficult to write, I spent ages trying to picture the scene and who would be stood where and what everyone would say so I'm super happy that the comments were really positive and that you were satisfied with the reactions. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you.**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings - Mentions of sexual assault, violence, bad language and other sexual situations.**

Chapter 42 – A Catch-Up with Draco, Dumbledore's Exit and a Night with Severus

Hermione was relieved about the recent turn of events and Harry's reaction to his godfather being arrested. However, Severus had told her that the Order members such as Tonks, Molly and Remus had been trying to gain visitation access to the castle so that they could see her, even though they had promised to give her some time. Hermione was a little nervous, she didn't really want to draw more attention to herself than necessary so she had begged everyone to hold off until the Easter holidays as they were only a couple of weeks away, that way she had time to prepare for the questions and the explanations in private and away from the school and prying eyes and ears.

Hermione was sat with Harry in the great hall and was eating her breakfast, it had been about a week since he had literally caught her with her hand down Severus' pants and what made things awkward was the way Harry stammered and would blush red whenever he was addressed by Severus in potions class.

Hermione had to chew her lip to keep from laughing at Harry's awkwardness. One person who had picked up on this was Draco and he had cornered Hermione about it as he wanted to have a catch up with her anyway.

She had agreed to meet Draco later on that afternoon in their secret room so that they could talk freely and for the first time, Hermione was praying that her classes would go quickly so that she could see Draco soon. She had been worried about him recently, he had seemed really withdrawn and depressed, Hermione had a feeling it was to do with what Draco had been tasked to do by Voldemort and she couldn't help but be mildly concerned over Draco's mental health.

She went through her classes a little slower than she would've liked but finally the school day had ended and she was on her way to meet Draco. Once she found the room, she entered and found Draco already sat there waiting patiently for her.

"Hey Draco" she smiled at him upon seeing him.

Draco managed a smile back and gestured for her to sit down.

"How's it going?" He asked her after she had taken a seat.

"I think I should be asking you that question Draco. You don't look well, I'm worried about you. Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked him.

Draco grimaced at her words and shook his head. There was nothing she could do, hell, there was nothing anyone could do for him - if he wanted to keep his and his families lives.

"Let's not talk about that, I wanted to meet with you to get my mind off all the shit that's going on. I need a distraction and I always love our conversations, you always seem to have some sort of drama going on" he grinned at her.

Hermione nodded, she understood what Draco had said and she knew that if he needed to talk to her then he would just talk, and so she let it slide.

"They arrested Sirius Black" she told him.

Draco's eyes widened and he almost choked on air. How had he missed that?

"And I'm only hearing about this now because...?" He asked.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"This is the first time I've had the chance to properly talk to you in a while. He was arrested last week and so far, it's all been kept under wraps. There was no dramatic arrest, he was simply taken to the cells of Azkaban by Moody to await trial" she told him.

Draco nodded.

"How do you feel? Does Potter know? He's been acting really odd recently" Draco asked her.

Hermione blushed thinking about why Harry was acting the way that he had been.

"I'm alright thanks Draco, I don't really feel anything. I'm glad he's finally getting punished but it's taken so long that I feel it hardly matters anymore. Also, Harry does know and he was alright about it. I guess he's upset that someone he considers a family member is in prison but he also feels glad for me" she answered.

Draco nodded again at her response and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"But that doesn't explain why he's being all flustered in potions all the time. Did he have a fight with godfather?" He asked.

Now Hermione's face was completely flushed tomato red and this piqued Draco's interest. He smirked at her.

"I can tell this is going to be good. Come on, don't keep the secrets to yourself. Was it really that bad?" Draco asked with that impish delight and spark in his eyes.

Hermione smiled wistfully, it reminded her of the happy and completely carefree Draco Malfoy. So she humoured him.

"Harry walked in on Severus and I making out. Severus had his hand up my shirt and I had my hand down his trousers. Now Harry is totally awkward around the both of us" she told him.

"He didn't!" Draco exclaimed excitedly before bursting into hysterical laughter.

"Oh Merlin! Potter saw you and Severus going at it? Haha! That's hilarious; I wish I'd been a fly on the wall for that moment!" Draco said gleefully, eyes and face still full of mirth.

Hermione found herself chuckling along with him, although the moment was highly embarrassing it was also really funny.

"I think he's known about Severus and I for a while actually" she admitted once they had both calmed down.

Draco's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Really?" He asked.

She nodded.

"He has that map I told you about and I think he's seen me down in the dungeons in Severus' rooms on more than one occasion. He saw me when I was there the other night and he hinted that he had seen me. That was when I realised that he knew something had been going on" she explained.

"And that doesn't piss you off? He's technically invading your privacy" he said.

"I know but Harry's had that map for so long, I think it's his way of making sure that everything is alright in the castle. He doesn't mean any harm by it and if he does happen to come across something that may seem like it should be private, he always quickly looks away at another part of the map. His intentions are good anyway" she told him.

"He's been following me hasn't he?" Draco asked.

Hermione chewed on her lip for a moment before answering.

"I have a confession to make" she told him.

Draco encouraged her to continue.

"Remember New Year's when Severus brought you back to his rooms to be healed? Well, I told Severus about how Harry had been suspicious of you all year and that now you have been marked, it seemed more dangerous for Harry to be watching your every move. So whilst you were being healed, I asked Severus if I could have a vial of your blood" she began.

Draco looked at her shocked. Why the fuck would she want a vial of his blood?!

His expression clearly conveyed that response to Hermione as she continued to explain.

"The charm used to show where people are on the map is quite complex but I managed to develop the enchantment so that, just for you, it follows your magical signature. Obviously your magical signature is in your blood. So I've been smearing your blood on the walls in different areas on the castle, just a tiny drop, so that if Harry looks for you on the map, your presence will be in multiple locations on the map. But to Harry, he will think it's you just staying still and doing absolutely nothing, he will get bored and then put the map away and won't bother to look anywhere else" she explained, hoping she didn't sound too creepy.

"That's some voodoo shit right there Granger. And ancient blood magic? Someone has been dipping into Severus' restricted Dark Arts books again. But thanks anyway" he told her.

She smiled sheepishly at him, it did sound a little fucked up.

Draco suddenly looked confused.

"But what if he sees more than one of me on the map?" He asked.

Hermione smiled.

"That's the best bit; if Harry saw multiple versions of you he would either think that you are performing some kind of enchantment or that there was something wrong with the map. Either way, he would be confused as to why there are multiples of you rather than trying to decipher and follow the actual you. It's not fool proof but it gives you some wiggle room if he becomes too obsessive" she told him.

Draco nodded and accepted her theory, he trusted her and he was grateful that she was trying to do something to help him keep Potter off his back.

"So why was Potter going to Severus' rooms?" He asked her.

Hermione frowned, what was he talking about?

Draco elaborated.

"You said Potter caught you and Severus going at it. I was just wondering why Potter would be going near Severus' private rooms in the first place" he said.

Hermione flushed again and put her head in her hands.

"Harry didn't catch us in Severus' rooms, he caught us in Severus' office" Hermione said.

"His office?!" Draco exclaimed.

"I know you're a Gryffindor Hermione but damn, that is brave even for you. What possessed you to have a go with him in his office?" Draco chuckled still a little shocked.

"It just sort of happened, honestly, I've always fantasised about having sex on a school desk before" she admitted and then put a hand over her mouth like she couldn't believe what she had just admitted.

She looked at Draco with wide eyes and he stared at her back with a big smirk.

"My, my, we are all full of surprises. Kinky much? And since when did you start thinking about having sex? Are you ready for that?" He asked her gently.

She blushed again and stuttered a response.

"Well- er-" she began.

Draco's expression suddenly shifted and he froze.

"No way! You haven't?" He exclaimed excitedly. Had she already gone that far?

Hermione suddenly found the floor very interesting.

Draco gasped.

"You have! Why didn't you tell me? Come on, give me the gossip. Don't leave me hanging! Least you can do after stealing my blood!" He joked with her but he really did want to know those details.

"Well his birthday was at the beginning of January and I knew I wasn't ready for sex but I wanted to see how far I could go. So, we did...other...stuff but not sex" she told him.

"You mean you sucked him off?" Draco asked.

Hermione nodded, still embarrassed that she was revealing intimate details about her and Severus' private life.

"Merlin! That must've been an interesting experience" Draco said, still slightly shocked.

Hermione mumbled in agreement.

"So when did it become more than just foreplay?" Draco asked.

"Valentine's Day" she said.

"How cliché" Draco told her.

Hermione shook her head.

"I know, that's what I thought too, he will probably kill me for telling you, but he had set up this romantic little picnic basket in front of his fireplace and the setting and mood was just perfect. I wanted to do it, I really did and so we did. It was amazing Draco and I'm glad it happened" she said with a nostalgic smile on her face.

"Ewwwww, you don't know how much it disturbs me to know that, right now, you are reminiscing about shagging my godfather" Draco grimaced.

Hermione lightly punched his shoulder.

"Oh shut up! You wanted the details in the first place you pervert!" She joked with him.

"Should I just start calling you 'auntie Mi' now?" He asked.

"Don't you dare Draco Malfoy or I will kick your arse" she screeched, mortified at the idea of being called 'auntie', that would make her feel so old!

"Alright, alright, your voice has reached new levels of high pitch that only dogs can probably hear you right now" he laughed at her.

Hermione folded her arms across her chest to give off the impression that he had upset her. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to hide the big grin that was plastered across her face. She wasn't mad at him at all.

At that moment the bell suddenly chimed, notifying the two unlikely friends that it was time for dinner. The pair prepared to enter reality once more and Hermione left the room first and Draco left a few minutes later. Both of them agreed that they needed to see each other more often.

A few days later Hermione and the rest of the DA were practising spells when all of a sudden the room started shaking and the walls to the room of requirement blew up. They had been found out by Umbridge and her inquisitorial squad, who had been led to the DA by Cho Chang, and all received indefinite detentions. Hermione, Harry and Ron were taken to the headmaster's office where there were several Hogwarts teachers and ministry staff wandering about.

"I instructed Harry and his friends to form the army, it is named 'Dumbledore's Army' after all" Dumbledore said.

"Arrest him" Umbridge commanded.

"I'm afraid I have no choice but to do just that Albus" Fudge said as the ministry workers made their way over to arrest the headmaster.

Harry, Hermione and Ron looked on in horror, as did the other teachers, not really knowing what to do or how to proceed as they watched the headmaster about to be carted off to prison.

However, just when it seemed like the aged headmaster had been defeated, his familiar, the Phoenix 'Fawkes', had showed up at the last seconded and had taken the headmaster away, no one knew where to.

Then, with the headmaster now gone, all hell broke loose. Fudge officially named Umbridge as headmistress and her first demand in charge was that Harry, Hermione and Ron would all be severely punished along with the detentions they had already received. After the ministry workers and Fudge had left the office, Umbridge sat in her new chair and smirked at the three students.

"You're mine now and there is nothing you can do about it" she grinned gleefully at the power.

The following days were spent doing gruelling labour such as scrubbing the floor of the great hall with a toothbrush, cleaning the schools toilets and other unsanitary jobs. On top of that they had to all write lines with Umbridge's special quill; everyone had a different line etched into the back of their hand. All this was done whilst the inquisitorial squad members watched them with satisfaction. Draco had to constantly hide his concern for Hermione and would relay to Severus what tasks she had been set and how she got on with doing them.

For Hermione, the worst thing was the lines she had written being carved into her skin. The more she wrote the lines as the days passed, the more her hand was scarring. She didn't quite like the idea of having the words 'filthier than thestral dung' permanently carved into the back of her hand.

About two weeks into the torturous punishment and things had not got better. They were all still in classes, Harry and Hermione were still receiving occlumency lessons but Hermione was beginning to get that bad feeling again.

"Keep working mudslut" Pansy Parkinson sneered at her.

Hermione sighed but cooperated, it was easier for everyone that way. Besides, they weren't kept any longer than three hours a night, luckily by law they couldn't be kept any longer as it would have been damaging for the schools reputation if there were sleep deprived children wandering around. Umbridge quite liked her new position and was determined to keep it and so followed the more mandatory rules of Hogwarts.

Hermione stood up with her bucket of water and cloth and went to move to clean a new part of the room. As she stood, she realised too late that both her legs had gone numb and she fell back onto the stone floor on her arse.

Theodore Nott stood above her and cheered alongside Gregory Goyle.

"Why don't you spread your legs a little wider for us Mudblood, come on, give us a show" they jeered at her.

Hermione looked up and noticed that the three of them were the only ones in the room and she could feel herself panicking again. No one would be around to help her if she needed it.

She spotted the open door and knew that all she wanted was to escape from the two boys just in case they did decide to try something with her.

She did the only thing she could think to do. She was still holding the large bucket of freezing cold, dirty water and without hesitation, she chucked it over the two laughing boys and in their momentary shock she made a run for it.

She managed to get through the door and ran like a bat out of hell through the corridors of Hogwarts whilst cursing Umbridge for confiscating wands for the duration of detention. She didn't slow down from running until she reached the familiar hidden entrance of her Severus' rooms. She said the password and entered.

As soon as she entered the rooms, she ran for Severus' bedroom and immediately dove under the covers on his bed and nestled up inside them. She felt calm when surrounded by his scent; she was hoping that it would calm her down this time.

Meanwhile a thoroughly stunned Severus watched, still holding his cup of tea frozen in mid-air, as a terrified looking Hermione Granger ran through his rooms and into his bedroom.

Once his bedroom door had slammed shut he launched into action. He headed for his bedroom and opened up the door to find a small lump hidden under his bedsheets. He noticed that Hermione wasn't crying but she wasn't far off it. She was also breathing really heavily, almost panting, like a fish does when it's been out of the water for too long.

Severus took a tentative step towards his bed.

"Hermione?" He questioned gently.

Hermione peeked her head out from under the covers, she was pale and he could tell something had frightened her.

Severus approached his bed and sat down next to her.

"Sweetheart, you need to tell me what's wrong" he told her, trying to coax her back to reality.

She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Its fine, I just freaked for a moment and I'm going to get in so much trouble" she muttered trying not to let the tears fall now that the adrenaline had worn off.

Severus just watched her; he knew she would continue when she was ready. He only had to wait a few moments.

"I had been tasked with scrubbing one of the classroom floors tonight and Goyle and Nott were assigned to watch me. I was alone in that room with them and they were...making suggestive comments...I realised I was alone with them, with no wand and I just freaked. So I threw a bucket of water over them and made a break for it" she whispered to him.

Severus' heart hurt for her, she was scared and had felt the need to literally run for her life. He hated that there was not much he could do to protect her from Umbridge and that damned squad of hers.

He just pulled her to him and he wrapped his arms protectively around her and carried her to the bathroom. He magically started running her a bath and sat on the edge of it whilst holding her in his lap.

"You're going to have a nice hot and relaxing bath while I inform Minerva that you will be staying here tonight and then I will come back and we shall go to bed. You must be exhausted" he told her as the bath stopped running.

He stood Hermione up so that she could remove her clothes, she asked him to help her because her hands where still shaking. Once she was naked, he helped her slowly step into the bath and lay her down in the water. He then, with Hermione's permission, cast a spell on her to ensure that her head would remain above the water at all times and he went to make a floo call to Minerva.

Minerva had already been visited by Umbridge and told that Hermione had fled from her detention that night. Minerva had also been told that Hermione had thrown water over the two boys who were watching her in detention. Minerva was close to awarding house points for that. Umbridge has also given Minerva Hermione's wand as Hermione had fled before getting it back.

When Severus' voice had sounded through her floo, she immediately accepted the call and instantly sent Hermione's wand to Severus, she then proceeded to yell every name under the sun she could think of that could be used to describe the pink nightmare that was roaming the halls.

After listening to Minerva throw a fit about Umbridge for nearly twenty minutes, Severus bid her goodnight and went back to the bathroom to check on his Hermione.

She was half asleep in the bath; Severus moved to help her get out of the bath and noted how the water had turned nearly black from the sheer amount of dirt and grime that had been washed away from her body. He quickly washed her hair and showered away the remaining muck and then emptied the water from the bath.

He got her out of the bath and wrapped her in a towel and moved her towards his bedroom. He then noticed how she didn't have any clean clothes here and he so he offered her one of his larger shirts and a pair of his boxers to wear.

She accepted the boxers but declined the shirt; she hated wearing clothes to bed. Severus looked surprised at her brazen behaviour but wrote it off as exhaustion and that she just wanted to get to bed.

Severus stripped down to just his boxers too and the pair of them climbed into bed with just their underwear on.

Hermione turned to snuggle into Severus' arms and he held her tight as the pair quickly drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin boy's dormitory, Draco was wide awake. He had heard what the other Slytherin's had been talking about tonight, about Granger and he knew that worse times were coming for her. He would go straight to Severus on the morning and hope to warn the pair of them about what was likely to happen next.

Draco turned over and tried to fall into a restless sleep.

All the while the phrase 'oh shit, oh shit, oh shit' was being repeated over and over in his mind.


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: I finally went and saw 'Beauty and the Beast' yesterday, it was fantastic and I cried almost the whole way through it...has anyone else seen it yet?** **Once again thank you all! I hope you're all still enjoying the story, I'm happy with how it's progressing, if you have any questions, please just ask! Enjoy!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Potential mentions of sexual assault, violence, bad language and sexual situations.**

 **Chapter 43 – Mornings, Articles and Potions**

Hermione opened her eyes and frowned for a moment as the memories of the previous night came flooding back to her. She had been spooked last night but she wasn't going to let it get to her. The Slytherin's had always been that way towards her and called her names. She had grown a thick skin and she would put last night behind her.

She looked up to see Severus still asleep, his arms still wrapped around her. She remembered how he had been so gentle with her last night and taken so much care with her; he'd helped her bathe and had comforted her. She looked around the room and noticed that he had even managed to get her wand back and had got a fresh change of school uniform and her school bag for her. She was very thankful for her Severus, he was beautiful inside and out and looked so peaceful when he slept. However, a very masculine body part was wide awake and was practically demanding her attention. She gave in to his bodies demands and gently stroked him.

Severus groaned as he woke, the tell-tale feeling of arousal was flowing through his body and when he opened his eyes his suspicions were confirmed by the little minx that currently had her hand wrapped around his dick.

He sat up and kissed his Hermione on the cheek.

"Good morning love" he moaned out through the waves of pleasure.

"Morning" she giggled back.

"Are you hungry?" She asked him seductively.

Severus rose to the bait when she started gently nibbling his ear.

"Ravenous" he replied leaning in to kiss her.

She abruptly took her hand away and stood up from the bed.

"I will fetch us some breakfast then" she laughed.

Severus blinked; his still half-asleep mind was trying to catch up with what had just happened. As he watched her walk out the room in only her knickers and one of his shirts, left unbuttoned, he growled.

"Tease" he yelled after her in good humour.

He could still hear her giggling away at her own antics.

Severus got out of bed too and stretched, he looked down at his still rock hard cock.

"And you can pipe down and all" he said to his stubborn masculine pride.

He then left the room in search of his minx and found her happily sipping a cup of tea, she smiled at him when she saw him.

"You're evil" he said to her jokingly.

"Yup" she grinned at him playfully.

"Maybe I should teach you a lesson in finishing what you've started" he said in his seductive voice.

Hermione shivered, she had fully intended on giving Severus what he wanted this morning, she was looking forward to it actually, until she noticed the time. The both of them had managed to sleep in later than intended and breakfast had already begun in the great hall. She knew that they didn't really have enough time for even a quickie. They both needed to get ready for classes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be a tease but have you noticed the time?" She asked.

He looked at the clock that he kept in the middle of the mantel-piece that surrounded his fire place. He nearly choked on his coffee and his eyes bulged from his head.

"Fuck" he yelled as he ran to the bathroom and began to get ready for the day.

Hermione was about to point out that he was a wizard and could have used magic to help him get ready but it was more entertaining to watch the great Severus Snape, run around in near panic.

Hermione went into the bedroom and found her bag with her clothes in it. With a couple of flicks of her wand, she was fully dressed, hair tied back and ready to go about her day. She just needed to brush her teeth and wash her face.

When Severus exited the bathroom a few minutes after he'd entered it and quickly walked to his bedroom, he was stunned to see Hermione dressed and ready to go. He was confused for a moment. Didn't females normally spend ages getting ready? He thought to himself.

Hermione noticed his shock and laughed at him as she held up her wand as if to say "we're magical you numpty".

Severus flushed bright red as he eyed his own wand which was still on his bedside table.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! Call yourself a spy and you go and leave your bloody wand behind" he muttered to himself as he moved towards his wand.

Hermione was still laughing as she left the room to go to the bathroom.

A few minutes later they were both ready to go and Severus kissed his Hermione.

She sighed contentedly as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

"You startled me when you hurtled yourself through the living room" he told her.

"I'm sorry I scared you" she whispered back.

"I think I was more worried about what had scared you if anything. You were so pale and you looked like you were running without actually seeing. I didn't know what was going on" he confided.

"Thank you for everything Severus" she said to him.

Severus went to open his mouth when Hermione spoke first.

"I know, I know, 'there is no need to thank me' and all that but seriously Severus, I am very thankful" she told him.

He nodded and smiled at her.

"Come on or else we will be late and Minerva will wring my bloody neck. You may want to disillusion yourself as students will probably be wandering around the corridors.

Hermione did as he suggested and the pair of them moved towards the entrance to his rooms. Severus opened the door and paused in the doorway, giving Hermione enough time to slip out.

Severus had been right; the corridors were quite busy with students going to breakfast. When she got to the main floor, the one with the great hall on it, she made a quick side trip into the girls' bathroom. She noticed it was empty and quickly removed the disillusionment charm. She then left the bathroom and headed for breakfast.

Upon entering the hall she walked towards her spot next to the boys and just about noticed that the noisy hall had gone from people talking normally to more of a quiet murmur.

She briefly and imperceptibly glanced at Severus and was nervous to find that he looked angry but also he was looking at her worriedly, although she would be the only one who would notice that.

The boys were also looking at her with similar expressions as she took her place at the table.

"What's going on?" She whispered to them.

The boys glanced at each other before handing her a copy of the 'Daily Prophet'. She looked at the front page and became nervous when she saw a picture of herself and a picture of Sirius Black smeared across it. The pictures were captioned with the heading 'The Girl who Lied' and the article was, unsurprisingly, written by Rita Skeeter. Hermione began to read the article:

 _Former Azkaban escapee, Sirius Black, has been recaptured and placed back into the prison. It has been nearly 3 years since his escape so, what is he doing back there?_

Anonymous sources have confirmed that he was returned to Azkaban by Alastor Moody, the ex-Auror, last Saturday afternoon. It is believed that he has been placed back in the prison due to the sexual assault of Hogwarts student, and the best female friend of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger.

According to my sources, Sirius Black is angry at the charges and has been repeating over and over that the Granger girl was lying about the sexual assault. Apparently, it is true that Sirius Black and Hermione Granger engaged in sexual relations but Black is confirming that it was entirely consensual from both parties and that the accusation that it was sexual assault was just a cry for attention from the Granger girl.

As there has been no trial yet and no witness testimonies or a scrap of evidence that has been brought forward to convict Black of the crimes he has been accused of, it leads me to believe that the Granger girl is just looking for attention after all, let's look at the facts.

Hermione Granger enters Hogwarts at aged 11 and as soon as she learns who Harry Potter is, she attaches herself to him. Hermione is an unpopular schoolgirl and the friends she has made at Hogwarts are through her association with Harry Potter. Furthermore, just last year she was seen getting cosy with famous Bulgarian Quidditch player, Viktor Krum, the two were apparently dating unofficially before separating at the end of the summer term last year.

It appears to me that Hermione Granger enjoys seeking the attention of dangerous men and there is no one more dangerous than the sexy, seductive, Sirius Black (let's face it ladies). So, if Hermione Granger did happen to come across the Azkaban escapee at some point in the last year, then it makes perfect sense that she would be willing to involve herself with him.

Furthermore, Peter Pettigrew, the wizard who Sirius Black was believed to have murdered, was spotted just yesterday in Knockturn Alley (see page 4). Now the ministry is trying to deal with the public outcry because it seems as if the ministry may have made a mistake in condemning an innocent man to a life sentence in Azkaban. The situation is being looked into and dealt with as I speak.

I feel that now this 'alleged sexual assault' charge has been made publicly known, it will bring sympathy towards, and help, Sirius Black's case. After all, the ministry may have made a mistake once in regard to Sirius Black, who is to say that it hasn't happened again?

My personal view is that Hermione Granger is an attention seeking liar, she willingly spread her legs for the dangerous and sexually attractive, Sirius Black and when she started to have regrets about the situation, she claimed sexual assault. She has already been involved with Harry Potter and Viktor Krum and it sounds as if she is just bored and looking to cause trouble.

So my dear readers, I would love to know what you believe about this story. If you have anything to say or any information about this story, please send me an owl and I will post your replies and any reliable information as the story develops.

Eat your heart out Hermione Granger, 'Whore of Hogwarts'.

 _ **(This article was written, edited and published by Rita Skeeter)**_

Hermione dropped the paper, everyone knew, everyone knew what had happened with her and Sirius Black. She silently fumed and willed herself not to cry knowing that all of Hogwarts was now openly staring at her. She hated Skeeter, the woman had it out for Hermione but one thing Hermione did agree on with Skeeter was the fact that she was an unpopular schoolgirl. Hermione knew that because she was unpopular, most people were likely to take Sirius' side, especially now that the whole murder sentence, for the 'death' of Peter Pettigrew, was practically crumbling. Sirius was surely going to get public sympathy and support.

Hermione noticed Ron and Harry looking worriedly at her but she promised herself she would not let the whole of Hogwarts see her vulnerable.

She calmly picked up her knife and fork and began to dig into her breakfast.

"Have you boys done your homework for potions this morning? You know professor Snape is going to kill you otherwise" she chastised them as she normally would.

Harry and Ron took the hint and followed her lead in going about their normal routine.

"You know us Hermione, always leave it til the last minute" Ron grinned at her.

Hermione sighed exasperated at them but grinned back at them anyway.

The rest of the hall, including the teachers were fairly subdued for the rest of breakfast but soon the near silence was broken by the bell ringing, signalling that students should be making their way to classes.

The Slytherin's and Umbridge went about their business in a smug ambience, they were thrilled to see the 'golden girl' knocked down a peg and degraded and humiliated in front of the whole wizarding world.

To make matters worse Hermione's first class was potions, shared with the Slytherin's. As they were waiting outside professor Snape's classroom, the Slytherin's had begun talking about her. The words 'whore' 'liar' 'attention seeking slut' and their new personal favourite 'mudslut' were being tossed around and Hermione could not have been more thankful when Severus showed up, nearly ten minutes earlier than he normally would for the lesson. He told the students to sit and prepare for the lesson. He noticed that Harry and Ron had taken a seat either side of Hermione in a defensive and protective manner and that Draco had opted to take the seat behind her, so he literally was watching her back.

Severus tried not to look openly worried about his Hermione but it was difficult, she looked lost and scared again and some of the sparkle that she had back in her eye had dimmed again and he could think of nothing more in that moment than wanting to find the Skeeter woman and show her what 'dangerous' really meant.

He could hear the class murmuring about the article and sending subtle glances in Hermione's direction. He knew he needed to get them to stop.

"As...interesting...as this morning's events have been. I now insist that you focus on your lessons" he began in that disinterested teachers voice of his.

He then sent subtle glances in Hermione's direction as he spoke the next words to the rest of the class.

"If I hear any of you breathing a word about anything other than potions, then I can promise you there will be hell to pay. If you feel that you cannot restrain yourselves from idle gossip, I suggest you leave now and you can come back and tell me all about it in, what I guarantee, will be the worst detentions of your lives. You have been warned" he glared at the class.

The class all nodded shakily at Severus' tone and he knew that he had regained the class's attention.

"Now, onto today's lesson..." he said as he wrote the ingredients down on the board and told the class to get moving.

Hermione was thankful for Severus' words. They may have sounded like a threat to the class but to her, she understood the underlying message in his words. Severus had meant that if he heard anyone talking about the article then they would have him to answer to, that if they had anything to say about the article then they would talk to him about it and not Hermione and above all, he was subtly telling them all to leave her alone. She knew the Slytherin's would understand that last part too and she hoped that, after Severus' words, they valued their lives more than they valued gossip from Skeeter.

She knew this was going to be a long day.

As predicted, Hermione went through the school day accompanied by whispers, stares and insults; it was just like first year all over again. Of course, the students were going to side with Sirius Black; it gave them something to do and a reason to make another person miserable for their entertainment. Hermione sighed, why can't life just be simple?

Hermione entered the common room, it was dinner time and Hermione did not feel like eating and so she opted for the quiet sanctuary that was her dormitory instead. She lay on her bed doing her homework assignments and allowing her thoughts to drift. There was nothing much else that she could do, Ron's birthday was coming up soon so she decided to figure out what she would purchase for him. She was thankful to both Ron and Harry this year, although they had been a bit awful to her when she needed them, they were here for her now and for that, she was thankful.

Soon, her dorm mates came back from dinner and paused upon seeing Hermione doing her homework. They went and sat on Parvati's bed and had a very loud discussion about the article.

"Well, it is true what it says about her in here, she did latch herself onto Harry and Krum pretty quickly" Lavender 'whispered' to Parvati.

"I know, to be fair, she had it coming. You shouldn't dish it out if you can't take it back" Parvati agreed.

Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes, knowing that the two girls were sneaking glances at her. Hermione decided that she couldn't stay there with them all night and their bitching so she picked up her books and her bag and headed for the library, ignoring her dorm mates stares as she did so.

She got half-way to the library before deciding that she would risk another disillusionment charm and make her way down to the dungeons and to the room that she and Draco often met in. She cast the charm and slowly made her way down.

"I wondered if I would see you down here tonight" Draco said as she entered the room.

She shut the door behind her and Draco gave her a big hug. They sat down on their sofa and were quiet for a while.

"Are you alright? He asked her.

She shrugged.

"Better than I thought I would be but not great" she admitted.

"It will be alright, something else will come along eventually and they will latch onto that gossip and they will practically forget about this. They're just attacking you because it gives them something to do in their boring lives" Draco told her.

"Also, I did try to warn you, I had heard the other boys in my dorms talking about the situation. Apparently one of the guards at Azkaban that has been dealing with Black's situation is a cousin of one of the sixth years and needless to say once the information got out and into the hands of the sixth year, there was no stopping it. I tried to do some damage control and I went to warn Severus about it this morning but he had already left his rooms when I got there. But then with the article, I really don't think it would have mattered much" Draco said sadly.

"It wouldn't have mattered, not with that article but thanks Draco, I appreciate the gesture all the same" she said, she really was happy to have found a friend in Draco.

"Also, I have a present for you that I think you will like" he told her.

She looked at him with a ghost of a smile on her face.

"Yeah? What did you get me-"she asked but was cut off when the door to their sanctuary opened and an apparent stranger wandered in.

"Ah Severus, right on time" Draco grinned.


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: Once again thank you all for reading this fanfic and I love hearing your responses. The first half of this chapter may be a little boring as it is filling in some gaps and is giving a little more information; however, I am extremely excited about the last half of this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoy it too. Thank You!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Potential mentions of sexual assault, bad language and other sexual situations.**

 **Chapter 44 – Aftermath, Draco and Dinner with Rita Skeeter**

Severus had spent all day worrying about Hermione, he had herd the vicious gossip that had taken the school by storm and once again, his heart went out to her. He had been grateful when Draco had informed him where Hermione might appear tonight if she wanted to be alone.

It was almost ironic, as a lonely student, Severus used that exact same room to hide away from everyone and sometimes he even invited Lily there so that they could be undisturbed by the Gryffindor's who enjoyed tormenting him. It was almost amusing that his godson and Hermione had found it and used it as their hideaway so that they could do the same thing and have a place of privacy.

Severus immediately stopped thinking about all of that, the last thing he wanted to do today was reminisce over his childhood years, he did not want to ruin a perfectly good set of furniture that Dumbledore had been kind enough to replace many times over the last twenty years. His thoughts turned back to his Hermione and her face this morning when she had read that article.

When Severus had entered the great hall that morning, ahead of Hermione, for breakfast, he had first noticed the worried look of Minerva and the gleeful look on Umbridge's. He was confused but could tell something big was going on.

When he had sat down and had been passed a copy of the morning paper, it took everything he had in him to maintain his shock. Then Hermione had come in and read the article, to everyone else she put on a brave face but Severus could tell that she was close to breaking down and the only reason that she hadn't broken down yet was because it would only confirm the rumours if she reacted. If she gave the student body nothing, then the students would have nothing else to talk about than what they already knew. Severus almost glowed as he watched Hermione pick up her cutlery and continue eating as if there this was nothing more than her average breakfast, he felt extremely proud of her and almost smiled. He only held back just in case anyone noticed it. He instead, spent the rest of the day trying to keep calm and stop hold back from hexing everyone in sight.

He felt calmer now though, he had the whole day to realise that if Hermione was not going to let it affect her publically, then he would try to keep her mind off of it privately, unless she wanted to talk about it. He had been thankful when Draco had come to him and told him where Hermione was going to be later on that evening; he just wanted to be able to see his Hermione. He entered the room and was greeted by the voice of his godson.

"Ah Severus, right on time" his godson stated as he entered the room.

Severus was wholly ignoring him though as he focused on Hermione who was sat looking small and broken all over again.

He immediately went over to her and knelt in front of her.

She looked up at him and smiled, she was glad that he was here and she wrapped her arms around him. Severus lifted her so that she was in his arms and he kissed her gently.

"I am so sorry" he mumbled.

"Why are you apologising? It's not your fault Severus" she replied.

"What happens now?" Draco asked them.

The pair turned to look at him with confused expressions.

"What do you mean?" Severus asked.

"You're not going to let Skeeter get away with this are you?" Draco asked astounded that both of them were going to sit by and do nothing.

"Of course we don't plan to sit around and do nothing. But going to Skeeter now and criticising her work will be like adding fuel to a fire. It will give her reason to write more absurd articles about why anyone would support Hermione. We can't let her do that, we need to wait for this to die down and then we will make our move" Severus told him.

Draco backed down, he agreed with Severus. Getting involved and sticking up for Hermione against Skeeter now will only lead to more slanderous gossip. Draco did not like it but he would do it if it kept Hermione at peace.

"I suppose you're staying with me tonight?" Severus asked.

Hermione looked up at him sheepishly.

"Is that alright? You don't mind sharing a bed with a common whore, do you?" She asked him bitterly, she was angry at the turn of events today and she couldn't help but make the jab.

Severus immediately put her down on the sofa and sat next to her, holding her.

"Don't you ever let me hear you talk about yourself like that ever again, not even if you are just joking" Severus said gently but with a serious tone to his voice. It saddened him to hear her talk about herself like that, especially when there was not even an ounce of truth to what was being said about her.

Hermione nodded and curled up against her Severus.

Draco was still stood on the opposite side of the room and he watched the pair interacting and he smiled at them. They were perfect.

Draco sat down on the other seat in the room and hoped that he could one day have what they had. Draco understood that not many people would accept his romantic preferences and that it would be unlikely that he would find that perfect man anytime soon. At the end of the day, he is the son of a death eater, he is a reluctant death eater himself and everyone either wanted to be part of his life because of his name and his money or they did not want to be within 50 metres of him at all. Draco had never had any true friends; it was rare that someone wanted to be his friend just because they wanted to have a genuine friendship with him. He would never have guessed that Hermione Granger of all bloody people, would end up becoming his closest friend, he had also started to see her as more of a sister, especially with everything that had been going on, he felt more protective of her. She was the only one who he knew he could talk to, besides Severus, about everything including boys he found attractive.

Hermione looked up and saw Draco sat in deep thought and she went over to him. She sat on his lap and hugged him. Draco had been a true friend to her, listened to her, provided intelligent conversation and most of all he had looked out for her and had her back when she needed it most.

Severus stared at the pair and was thankful that the pair got on so well, they were his two favourite people in the world. He knew that Draco really needed someone that he could trust, with being forced to take the dark mark; Draco had isolated himself from normality which highlighted just how terrified he was. Severus had noticed how his godson had got thinner since Christmas and had been trying to secretly smuggle nutrition potions into his food to help him remain healthy. Severus had also noticed that Draco had been getting little or no sleep and tried to offer the boy sleeping drafts, which Draco had been repeatedly turning down out of pride claiming that he didn't need help sleeping and that everything was fine.

Severus focused back on his godson and his Hermione; they really were protective of one another. After a few moments, Hermione climbed off Draco's lap and went back over to Severus.

"Thank you for tonight Draco" she told him.

"Goodnight Hermione, you're welcome" he said to her.

Severus then disillusioned the pair of them and walked further down into the dungeons. They first stopped at the Slytherin common room to drop Draco off before heading to Severus' rooms.

Hermione was exhausted and immediately climbed into Severus' bed and Severus joined her. Severus stroked her hair until she fell asleep and then he lay awake for most of the night thinking about how to deal with Skeeter.

The following week passed and Ron's birthday had come and gone. They had not done anything that special because Umbridge was watching them like a vulture watches its prey and they were careful about their movements.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had enjoyed a drink or two in the pub in Hogsmeade and had given Ron his gifts - mainly sweets and Quidditch stuff - and had spent the evening larking about. Hermione felt nostalgic about how the three of them were quickly growing up, they were not going to remain young for much longer, especially with a war knocking at their door. It was these happy and carefree moments that Hermione treasured the most, just watching the boys messing about. Hermione found herself wondering how much longer they all had until they would be fighting for their lives and for the wizarding world. Hermione refused to think about it anymore, she was going to enjoy Ron's birthday, the twins had managed to smuggle in alcohol and Hermione planned to let her hair down a bit tonight.

Hermione was thankful that he comments made in the article about her had died down somewhat, there were still a few people who liked to taunt her just for the sake of something to do but she had stopped letting it get to her.

Meanwhile, Severus was sat in a private booth at the Leaky Cauldron in London. He was waiting impatiently for his guest to arrive, he had ordered a couple of drinks and some food and was frustrated that his guest was 10 minutes late, as a stubborn professor it was only natural that he had little patience for people who were late.

"Severus Snape, what a pleasure it is to finally see you again and how handsome you are" she exclaimed as she sat herself down at the table and poured herself a drink.

"Thank you for coming Madame" Severus said as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. He tried not to sneer at her in the process.

"You wanted to talk about my recent article, didn't you?" Skeeter asked him sweetly.

Severus grinned back.

"Actually I wanted to thank you for the article, it provided quite the entertainment watching the golden girl being knocked down of her pedestal" Severus told her, trying to hide his disdain.

Skeeter shrieked with laughter, she had heard about the reaction to her article at Hogwarts and she had been thrilled.

"It was good, wasn't it?" She asked rhetorically before knocking back the drink she had poured herself, the one that was slightly laced with veritaserum.

Severus smiled when she drank her beverage and didn't seem to notice anything odd about her drink. Severus had used just enough of the potion to make her more loose tongued, it would not necessarily force her to tell the truth but he hoped that she was either too scared of him to deny him answers or that she could persuade her with flattery.

"You, dear lady, are quite the talent. How on earth did you get hold of such information? Surely it cannot be true" Severus said, trying to play to her ego.

She giggled again.

"Now dear Severus, I can assure you that it is all true, Black was arrested on sexual assault charges, I mentioned I had a reliable source for this information" she told him, blushing at his comments about her writing talent.

"I highly doubt that the source was reliable, you would have had to go to Azkaban itself for that and surely that would have been far too dangerous for such a fair lady" he said in a silky deep tone, the tone that he used when his Hermione was giving his body some special attention. Severus tried to shake that thought, he refused to even think about it or he would never use his sexy voice again.

Skeeter rose to the bait.

"Can you keep a secret Severus?" She asked him, enchanted by his voice.

Severus nodded and waited for her to continue.

"Haha, you are quite right, an important beauty such as myself did not have to go anywhere near that place. No, I am currently having relations with Antonin Dolohov, the sexy death eater who escaped Azkaban a short while ago. He still has contacts on the 'inside' and they informed him of the situation surrounding Sirius Black" she told him.

Severus accepted that explanation, at death eater meetings Dolohov had been going on and on at just how 'special' Skeeter was and how she had many other talents besides her writing abilities. So that explanation was entirely plausible, they all knew Dolohov had undesirable friends who were some of the guards at Azkaban.

"Not to mention the anonymous owl that I received" she said.

Now that piqued Severus' interest.

"Sounds awfully ominous, you should be careful, an anonymous owl could have enchantments surrounding it. We wouldn't want you to get hurt now, would we?" He asked her whilst drawing imaginary circles on the back of her hand with his finger.

"No" she agreed, whispered breathlessly. Severus almost threw up everything he had eaten in the last month.

"I wouldn't know how to look for those types of charms" she whispered back, her attention focused on Severus' fingers.

"Perhaps I should take a look for you, after all I am an expert in dark magic and I wouldn't want you to be in any danger" he said smoothly.

Skeeter was close to stuttering and to save herself from that embarrassment, she reached into her bag and pulled out the letter.

"You can read it if you like, the only reason I only used as a source in the first place was because it correlated with what Antonin had told me but it gave me a bit more information. There was nothing to contradict what the letter said so I put it into the article" she said as she handed the note over to Severus.

Severus opened the note and began to read it whilst pretending to examine it with his wand for dark magic. Once he had read the note, he handed it back to her.

"No dark magic my lady, you're safe" he told her.

She took the letter back and placed it in her bag.

"Its interesting information isn't it?" She asked.

"I didn't really read it Madame, I have no interest in idle gossip but I do love to watch the fallout of your articles for my own twisted entertainment, especially when it includes some of the students that annoy me the most" Severus grinned.

Skeeter chuckled.

"I wish I could have witnessed it, I bet her face was a picture" she said.

"It really was" Severus agreed.

The two of them sat and finished their food and drinks before Skeeter looked at the clock on the wall and her eyes nearly fell out of her head.

"Merlin! I'm late for an interview with the minister of magic! I'm sorry Severus but I must go, thank you for the meal and the chat, it really was good to see you again" she said as she hurriedly collected her things.

Severus stood up as well and left the money for the meal and drinks on the table before signalling to Tom that he had paid. Tom nodded and waved goodbye as Severus and Skeeter exited the pub.

They rounded the corner into the alleyway that would take them to Diagon Alley and before Skeeter could open up the passageway Severus pulled out his wand.

"Obliviate" he whispered, removing her memories of their afternoon. As far as Skeeter was concerned, she had gone to have a meal with a client who did not show up; she would not remember who that client was or anything that had been discussed. Satisfied with his work, Severus quickly left and headed into muggle London to find another remote location to apparate back to the castle.

"Where have you been? Are you alright?" Hermione squealed at him as he walked through the door to his rooms.

He flinched in shock; he hadn't expected her to be there. Then he remembered that it was her occlumency lesson and he had missed it.

"I apologise, something came up and I had to go, I should have told you, I completely forgot" he said feeling guilty that he had caused her to worry.

"It's alright Severus, I thought you'd been called away to a meeting and was worried when you didn't return. But it's alright, you're back now" she said to him as she hugged him and kissed him gently on the lips.

Severus kissed her back and then they proceeded with a small occlumency lesson before calling it a night.

"Are you sure you're alright Severus?" She asked him.

He nodded and kissed her reassuringly.

"Are you staying the night?" He asked her.

"Can I?" She replied.

"If you want to you can, I would like it" he told her.

"Then I will stay" she said as she grabbed her belongings that contained all of her school things she would need for the next day.

"Know-it-all Minx" he said as he noticed that she had already planned to stay anyway and didn't look like she would have taken no as an answer.

She giggled as she prepared to get ready for bed and he told her he would come to bed shortly.

Severus sat for a moment in his chair by his fireplace and pondered over his afternoon with Skeeter. He had done well in hiding his distaste and his anger. He had read the anonymous letter that she had presented to him and he didn't understand. The information was correct but he didn't know why it had been sent to Skeeter.

But there it was, the information that would be published to hurt his Hermione, in the all too familiar handwriting of Albus Dumbledore.


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: Once again thank you all for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, it was really exciting to write and the next chapter (46), will include a bit more about Dumbledore's plans.**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Mentions of sexual situations, bad language, violence and sexual assault.**

 **Chapter 45 – Embarrassing Morning, Harry's Mistake and Severus' Idiocy  
**  
Hermione woke in the arms of her Severus, she felt groggy and tired. She shifted so that she was pressed up against her Severus, her leg slung over his hips.

Severus woke to his Hermione readjusting her position so that she was more comfortable. He loved this intimate position, he could feel every inch of her and he could feel wetness on his thigh. Severus moved his thigh so that she could feel it too.

"Have you been having naughty dreams?" Severus smirked at her.

Hermione, still groggy, opened her eyes, confused at Severus' comments. She could feel the wetness and frowned. Had she had a sex dream and not remembered it?

Severus, upon seeing her confusion, slyly trailed his fingers under the duvet and across her body and down to the designated area of interest. Hermione gasped at the sensation of his fingers on her as he teased her. She was really responsive this morning, it must be a surge of hormones that she was experiencing, she felt so sensitive.

Severus could not believe how unbelievably moist she was. He brought his fingers back from under the duvet so that he could get into a better position when Hermione squealed.

Severus, panicked, moved so quickly that he lost his balance and ended up nearly falling off the end of the bed. He looked back up to where Hermione was, wondering what the hell had caused her to react like that, when he saw that she had buried herself underneath the covers and almost curled up like a ball.

Now Severus was alarmed, he started to remove the covers off of his Hermione, maybe he had overstepped the line. But Hermione was fighting back, trying to keep the blankets covering her all over, Severus was beside himself, he hadn't meant to cause her any harm and he would never forgive himself if that is what he had done.

"Hermione talk to me" he whispered, almost begging her to give him a response.

When she did not respond after a few moments, he tried again.

"What's the matter?" He asked her in the gentlest voice he had probably ever used.

"I'm sorry Severus" she mumbled from under the cover.

"There is no need to apologise Hermione, it should be me that is apologising for putting you in a clearly uncomfortable position, now come out from under there, please, and talk to me" he begged her gently.

She slowly unravelled herself from the bedsheets and her head eventually poked out from under the covers. She looked sheepish and her face was flushed bright red.

"Hermione what's the matter?" He asked her again, still worried about her.

She buried her head in her hands and looked as though she was about to cry.

Severus went from worried to feeling guilty. She had clearly not been awake enough for him to be taking the liberties that he had.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I should've asked you if it was alright. I didn't mean to frighten you" he said in a small, guilty voice.

Hermione's head snapped up immediately and she looked at him in shock.

"No Severus, you have done nothing wrong, believe me, I have no complaints about that" she said gently.

Severus frowned.

"Then what was that all about?" He asked her again.

She mumbled an unintelligible response.

"What was that?" Severus asked her.

She sighed, cheeks still bright red and she still looked near tears.

"I have a bit of a...situation...going on" she muttered highly embarrassed.

"What situation?" He asked now thoroughly bewildered.

"It appears that I may have come on my menstrual cycle overnight" she whispered quietly whilst looking down interestedly in the bedsheets.

When she got no immediate, outraged response from him, she wondered if he had even heard her. However, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Severus stiffen for a second and she realised he had ears her.

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Severus froze. Not out of disgust, of course not, he was more mature than an adolescent male. He froze out of sheer relief; he had honestly thought that he had done something seriously wrong to cause her to react like that.

He looked down at his hand, more specifically the fingers he had been teasing her with and noticed the slightly red tinge on the tips of his index and middle finger. There were also some small patches of blood on his thigh from where she had been laying with her leg slung over his hips.

He didn't care about the situation, he had been tortured, and seen torture, at the hands of Voldemort many times, so blood no longer bothered him. But he knew this situation would bother her. He had to be careful here, he knew he was walking on eggshells this morning.

"Love…" he said gently.

Hermione refused to look up at him, she was absolutely mortified.

Severus sighed and went and scooped her up in his arms. He sat back down on the bed with her placed on her lap.

"Look at me, silly witch" he said adoringly.

She hesitantly looked up at him.

"Why are you embarrassed? I assure you, you have absolutely no need to be. Why don't you go and get a bath or shower and get ready for classes?" Severus asked her.

She nodded in agreement.

"Alright, but promise me you will stay in the living room until I'm done so that I can deal with everything. I don't want you to see any of this" she told him.

Severus was about to tell her that she was being awfully silly but he decided that he had better not, he didn't want to upset her, not at this moment anyway. As a man, he was certain that he would lose against the female hormones.

He kissed her forehead, her cheek and then her lips and stood up and walked towards the bedroom door.

"I will get breakfast ready" he agreed and he smiled at her before leaving the room and out of sight.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, now she could sort this whole mess out.

She stood up and removed the covers to survey the damage. There was quite an extensive amount of blood on the cover and she hoped that it hadn't stained the mattress underneath. She was so annoyed with herself, she wasn't even due for another three days. She wanted to cry at the humiliation she had felt when she had realised what was going on.

She decided to bathe first and deal with sheets after and she left to go and clean up.

As soon as Severus heard the bathroom door shut and the water start running, he went back to his bedroom and stripped the bedsheets and put them in the wash basket that sat in the corner of his room. Immediately the sheets disappeared, the elves had taken them to be cleaned and with a flick of his wand, he had redressed his bed in new, fresh sheets. He then left the room.

A short time later, a freshly showered and dressed Hermione sheepishly entered the lounge and sat down ready for something to eat. The elves had delivered the breakfast and it smelled amazing as always.

"Thanks, I thought you were going to be so angry" she said to her Severus as she sat down.

Severus looked at her.

"Nothing to thank me for. I'm not an immature schoolboy and I understand the biological processes of the female body. Hermione, please don't be embarrassed or scared, I would never be angry at you for that" he told her. He couldn't understand why she would even consider the notion that he would yell at her for it. Then he had a sudden realisation.

"But someone else has been angry at you for that before, haven't they?" He stated rather than asked her.

She looked at him and nodded.

"Second year, I was staying at the Weasley's during a holiday and it was the first time I had stayed there. I was scared and unsettled so I went and stayed in the boys' room. I climbed in with Harry and went to sleep. I woke up the next morning to a worried Harry, he didn't really know what had happened but thought I was hurt. Ron understood and he made a huge deal out of it and screamed the house down calling for Molly. Needless to say the whole house knew within seconds. I felt so bad and thought Molly was going to be angry but she wasn't, she was super nice about it and helped me. She told me that she had dealt with many soiled bedsheets especially since Ron, at the time, still had bedwetting issues" she told Severus. Then she froze.

"And that is never to be repeated; I promised Ron I would never tell anyone about that as long as he stopped making a big deal about my situation. Please don't say anything or use it to mock him in class. I don't need him hating me again" she said.

"Hermione, sweet, calm down. I promise I will never repeat a word. Although the little shit deserves it sometimes" Severus grinned at her whilst secretly filing away the information in case he needed to use it later.

She chuckled back and they ate their breakfast. Afterwards Hermione left, she had to return some books to the library before class and Severus needed to shower himself. He bid her goodbye and the pair of them separated to start their day.

The humiliation of the morning had worn off and Hermione went through her classes in a hurry. The days were going so quickly now that it was getting closer to exams. Only two weeks until the Easter holidays and then before she knew it, there would be exams.

She didn't see Severus for a few days after that but that all changed when Harry burst into the common room one night, looking like hell had frozen over.

Luckily it was only Hermione and Ron who had stayed up late in order to see Harry after his weekly occlumency lesson with Severus.

"Harry? What happened?" Hermione asked when she saw how pale he was.

Ron was also trying to get his attention.

"Harry, talk to us mate" Ron said.

Harry looked up at his friends and noticed their worried looks. He then revealed what had taken place between him and Snape and how he had learned everything that he needed to know and that his lessons were no longer needed. Ron believed Harry and then headed for bed, now that he knew Harry was back, he could get some sleep.

Hermione knew Harry was lying through his teeth and once they were alone she whirled on Harry and demanded answers.

"Cut the bullshit Harry, what happened? Or do I go and talk to him myself?" She asked him.

"I looked at his memories, on purpose and saw some of his most personal moments" Harry told her, not even bothering to try and lie to her.

"And you're still alive? Shit Harry! What the hell were you thinking?" She exclaimed. She really was surprised that Harry was still walking.

Should she go and see Severus? She immediately chased that thought out of her mind. If Severus was angry then he would want some time to himself to calm down.

"What did you see?" She asked him.

Harry hesitated; he wondered how much of Severus' past she knew about. Harry decided to tell her.

"I saw my father, Sirius, Remus and Pettigrew and how Snape was bullied mercilessly by them for the whole of his school years. I saw a prank Sirius played on him, luring Snape to the whomping willow on a full moon. Sirius knew Remus would be turning and the wolf almost got Snape. Snape looked absolutely terrified, he was crying in fear and Dumbledore did absolutely nothing. I mean, what must that have been like? Having all of that done and then the one person who was supposed to help you does nothing about it. Can you imagine?" Harry said.

"I know that feeling very well" Hermione noted dryly.

Harry froze and almost swore. Of course Hermione knew the feeling of an idle Dumbledore.

"Sorry H., also you know about these incidents then, as you don't seem very surprised" Harry said.

Hermione nodded.

"Yep, I knew" she said gently.

"You never told me" he replied.

"I made a promise that I would never repeat what I'd heard or saw" she told him.

Harry nodded in acceptance; he knew that she would never betray Severus' privacy like that.

"Will you be alright Harry? I need to send a note to him to make sure he is alright" Hermione said.

Harry nodded and they wished each other goodnight.

Hermione went to her bed and drew the curtains around her before pulling out her charmed coin and sending Severus a message, hoping that he was alright.

She waited up for hours, waiting for a reply. The reply never came and she fell asleep out of exhaustion.

Over the course of the next few days it became apparent that Severus was avoiding her like the plague. He had even snapped at her a couple of times in lessons and she knew that he had meant to do it.

She was upset, she knew that Severus was devastated that Harry had seen part of his past memories that he had purposefully pulled from his head in order to forget them. There were thousands of memories that Severus did not want and it had been Harry bloody Potter who had seen one of the very worst and humiliating memories of all.

Draco had been bewildered by this turn of events and chose to approach his godfather about it. He had been acting so cold and withdrawn, it was obvious that his godfather and Hermione had a fight of some sort and were not speaking to one another.

Draco approached Severus' rooms and entered without knocking. Draco froze when he saw the state of Severus' quarters. There was splintered wood, ruined furniture and broken glass everywhere. Draco just about managed to stop himself from gasping; he had been stunned into shock. For a dreadful second the thought crossed Draco's mind that Severus may have hurt Hermione. Draco quickly chased the thought from his head, his godfather was nothing but respectful towards women. The likely scenario was that Severus and Hermione had an argument and then Severus had turned to his furniture in his rage and used them for target practice.

"What do you want?" a cold voice snarled from across the room.

Draco's attention turned from the destroyed room to his pale and tired looking godfather.

"Don't use that tone with me godfather. What the hell happened?" he asked Severus in a 'I'm in no mood for your shit' kind of tone.

Severus narrowed his eyes in a glare at his godson and stomped like a petulant child to his bedroom.

Draco almost laughed at the scene, Severus Snape, the most ferocious man Draco had ever met, had just thrown a mini childish fit.

Draco sighed and went to make room so that he could sit down. As he did, he noticed a pile of small pieces of parchment on the remnants of Severus' coffee table and he picked them up.

He felt slightly bad for looking at his godfather's personal correspondence but as a Slytherin, he got over it quickly. As Draco read through the notes he quickly noticed that they had all been from Hermione over the course of the last few days. They all said similar things, asking Severus if he was alright or if he needed anything. Draco wondered if any of these letters had been replied to. Draco put the letters down where he had found them and made his way to Severus' bedroom.

"What's with the stropping about?" Draco asked.

"None of your business" Severus snapped back.

Draco just raised an eyebrow at him and waited for him to reply.

Severus eventually backed down.

"Fine! Potter saw some of my pensive memories" Severus muttered, still angry.

"That's awful! Potter really does have a death wish doesn't he? But if this is all to do with Potter then, you're avoiding Hermione because..." Draco trailed off hoping Severus would finish that thought for him.

"Well she's obviously going to be supporting her precious Potter over me, isn't she?" He asked rhetorically.

"Umm...no, I don't think so actually. The letters she had sent you clearly suggest otherwise" Draco said.

"You looked at my correspondence!" Severus exclaimed.

Draco swallowed, he hadn't meant to let on that he had rifled through Severus personal letters.

But Draco stood his ground, he nodded.

"You need to talk to her. She has been worried about you all week and has been trying to find a way to get you to talk with her. Have you been part of the potions class this week? She's messed up her work and said things out of character on purpose as a way of trying to get you to hold her back after class" Draco told her.

Severus admitted that he had acted extremely foolishly but, especially with the memories that Potter had seen, he couldn't stand the thought of another woman he loved choosing a Potter over him. That would truly destroy him once and for all. But Draco had been right, her letters were laced with obvious worry on his behalf and he moved to get a piece of parchment and wrote a few words down on it.

He then folded the note up and gave it to Draco.

"Can you make sure she gets this without gaining any attention?" Severus asked Draco.

"I'm a Slytherin, in case you forgot" Draco stated, taking the note from his godfather.

Draco left his godfathers rooms in search of Hermione. He found her, walking down a bear deserted corridor with her nose in a book. He discreetly placed the note on the book as she walked by him. She turned, to look at the person who dared interrupt her reading and saw that it was Draco who had given her the note.

She walked a few paces down the corridor before stopping, pretending to mark the page of her book before putting it in her back whilst secretly reading the note.

She immediately turned on her heel and headed towards the dungeons.

Severus needed her.


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N: Once again, thank you to everyone who continues to support this story and who are still enjoying reading this story. I am getting closer to the end of this story as there will only be a few more chapters left. I might leave room for a potential sequel for later on this year, depending on the direction of the final chapter. But for now, here is the latest chapter, enjoy!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Potential mentions of sexual assault, bad language, violence and other sexual situations.**

 **Chapter 46 – Apologies, Plotting Demise and Easter Plans**

"Severus?" Hermione asked gently as she let herself into his rooms. She knew that she would need to take a cautious approach in how she acted around Severus at the moment. She did not know what kind of an emotional state her Severus would be in but she knew she would be patient with him no matter what he said now.

She had read the note he had given her and it said to meet her in his rooms tonight but she knew she wouldn't be able to wait that long. She had been extremely worried about him and if he was ready to talk to her later, then he sure as hell would be ready to talk to her now. She just wanted to know that he was alright.

Severus froze when she had entered and turned towards her, he hadn't been expecting her quite so soon. His expression turned sheepish as he watched her take in the destroyed room. He had thrown quite the childish fit and destroyed all of his furniture. He had asked that she come later so that he would have time to put his rooms to rights before she came and saw how monstrous he could truly be. He felt ashamed that she had seen the aftermath of his rage, she was going to think of him as violent and as someone who could not control his anger and it was going to send her running for the hills. Severus tried not to look outwardly panicked as he watched her survey the damage.

Hermione could not believe the destruction that she was seeing, had Severus really been in this much of a bad state? She had given him space but was that the right thing to do? Maybe he thought that she had chosen to support Harry over him, that's what Draco had suggested to her anyway. Of course, that was not the case, at the end of the day, Harry had been in the wrong and he should not have been going through Severus' private memories, Harry had certainly received an earful from her over the last few days. Harry had felt extremely bad about his behaviour and Hermione had no sympathy for him. He had made his own bed, he was going to have to lie in it and deal with the wrath of Severus when he decided to unleash his punishments.

Hermione approached Severus, who now had his head bowed and was looking down at the floor, and she gently placed a hand on his bicep and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"You've had me worried all week Severus" she said gently.

"I'm sorry" he replied quietly.

Hermione shook her head.

"Don't apologise, I just thought that you would appreciate the space which is why I haven't been down here. Harry told me what happened and exactly what he saw and he told me how angry you were. I just thought you would like some time to yourself without me sticking my nose in" she admitted to him.

Severus snorted.

"I bet Potter is reaping in all the sympathy from his fellow Gryffindor's" Severus commented.

Hermione had an epiphany.

"That's why you've not been around much. I thought you were upset with me for not coming to see you. But you are worried that Harry went and told everyone about what he saw. Aren't you?" She asked him.

"Ever the know-it-all" Severus replied without any malice.

Hermione grinned.

"I promise that he has told no one but me about what happened and that is how it will stay" she vowed.

"How can you be so sure?" Severus mumbled.

"After he told me what he did, I went mental at him and told him that if he liked his bollocks just as they are, then he will never breathe another word to anyone about what he saw" she smirked ruefully.

Severus grinned for the first time since she had stepped into the room, he liked the idea of Hermione ridding Potter of his own balls and forcing him to wear them as earrings. Severus chuckled, feeling relieved that none of his personal life had gotten out to the student body. Hermione had already known about what Potter had seen for quite a while and Severus trusted what Hermione had said, that Potter would keep his trap shut. It felt like the stress of the whole week, a huge weight, had been lifted from his shoulders.

He moved and hugged his Hermione fiercely and she squeezed him back tightly. He had been so wound up over the last few days that he had not realised how much he had truly missed her presence in his rooms. It was almost like his rooms no longer felt like home unless she was there. God's! How soppy did he sound? It was that moment that he realised he was screwed, she had him completely wrapped around her fingers and there was no way that he would ever be able to let her go, unless she ordered him away from her side.

He kissed her on her cheek.

"Thank you" he mumbled into her skin.

She chuckled, glad that she had put his mind at ease about the whole thing.

"You're welcome, I'm sure you have something nasty planned for Harry as your own form of punishment. But, for now, maybe we should go about fixing your rooms. It looks like a tornado has swept through here" she said.

"I apologise that you had to see this, which is why I asked you to come later. I should have known that you would come down here as soon as I gave you the all clear to do so" he said to her, grinning.

Hermione shook her head and grinned along with him.

"We both know that there are worse ways in which one could take out their anger" she told him soberly.

Severus nodded in agreement and the pair set about to tidy up the place. It took them awhile to even know where to begin and to even realise which piece of debris belonged to each piece of furniture. However, once they began, they soon found themselves getting through the destruction a lot more quickly.

After a bit of sorting, a few waves of a wand and some furniture rearrangement later, the two of them collapsed exhaustedly into the newly fixed chairs in Severus' lounge room.

"So, other than all of this, is everything else alright with you?" She asked him. She had noticed that, before all the stuff with Harry had happened, her Severus seemed a little distracted and she had wanted to ask him about it but had forgotten about it completely. She knew that if it was something that he wanted her to know, then he would tell her when he was ready.

Severus hesitated, only for a second, but that was enough for Hermione to know that there were other demons playing on Severus' mind.

"Apparently so" she sighed, this man could never rest. There was always something to worry him and she hated seeing him stressed.

Severus sighed.

"Do you remember the last time you stayed here?" He asked her.

Hermione grimaced, not that she wanted to remember that particular incident, but alas she did. She nodded.

"Do you remember me telling you I had a meeting later on that afternoon?" He quickly moved on, understanding why she reacted like that to his question and cursing himself for being so tactless about the approach he had taken.

Again, she nodded.

"I set up a meeting with Rita Skeeter" Severus finally revealed.

Hermione did not know what to say, why the hell had he gone to see that bug?

"I wanted to ask her how she found out about the information she put on that article" he told her.

"I feel I'm not going to like what you're about to say" Hermione whispered.

Severus nodded, if he hadn't liked it, then she definitely wouldn't.

"She said that one of her reliable sources was someone that she is currently shagging, someone who has connections inside Azkaban. And-" he paused, he really wasn't sure what she was going to say or how she would react.

"And-?" She asked him, she desperately wanted to know and now she knew she wasn't going to like this if he had been hesitant to tell her.

"And Dumbledore" Severus muttered.

Hermione went silent.

After a moment she found her voice again and was able to formulate a response.

"I'm surprised but why would I be? I should've known, I should've even expected this. Do you have any idea why he would do this though?" She asked him, her voice was very meek and she looked disappointed again.

Severus went over to her and hugged her.

"I have a few theories" Severus told her.

She looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Before Dumbledore did his famous disappearing act, I was summoned to a death eater meeting. The Dark Lord was angry because he had been failing to get support, for his cause, from other magical beings. The Dark Lord has become erratic and extremely volatile and we think it's only a matter of time before he makes a mistake and reveals himself, in one way or another, to the rest of the wizarding world. We think the beginning of the war will begin very quickly after the ministry see that he is back" Severus said. He paused for a moment, taking in the horrified look on Hermione's face before he continued.

"Obviously, once the war starts, we will need everyone we can possibly get" he paused again.

"Including Sirius" Hermione whispered.

"Including Black" Severus begrudgingly agreed.

He continued.

"I believe that Dumbledore wanted the information about Black to be known so that it would gain him public sympathy. Enough public sympathy that, if there is to eventually be a trial for his crimes against you, then he can at least have a probationary period confined to his own home under the supervision of an Auror, probably Miss Tonks or Moody, so that Black can contribute towards the war effort instead of being locked away awaiting trial" Severus informed her.

Hermione took in this information, it did make sense. If Sirius was to be trialled and kept in Azkaban, then he was useless but if he could await trial confined to his own home, then he could contribute. Also, if Voldemort accidentally made a public appearance, then the ministry would need all the support that they could get and if a large portion of wizarding Britain was sceptical about the reliability of the ministry, then there would not be much support. If giving Sirius Black a little leeway was a good way to gain back a bit of public support, then there was absolutely no doubt that the ministry would do it.

"Ouch" Hermione said, she didn't know what else to say. There was nothing she could do about it; it was all beyond her control. What will be, will be and that is all there was to it. Then, with all the confusion of war and the threat of Voldemort and the crimes of the death eaters, Sirius Black would be forgotten about and he would be free of accusations.

Hermione sighed as she relaxed into Severus' arms and placed her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry love" he said to her.

"It doesn't matter, all of this is trivial in comparison to the wider context of what is happening in the world" Hermione said.

"I don't care if it doesn't matter to the rest of the world. It matters to you, therefore it matters to me and believe me, I will NEVER again let that filth anywhere near you or let him get away with what he did to you. I swear, should he even come within a thousand feet if you, I will kill him, consequences be damned" Severus said and he meant every word.

"But Severus, I don't want you to be sentenced for murder. I love you and I want you by my side" she said lovingly, she was thankful for him but she liked him being with her, he would not go to prison because of her.

"But my dear, two can play at this game, if Albus bloody Dumbledore is relying on the confusion and the chaotic world of war to get what he wants, then I will claim that in the confusion of a chaotic world at war, there is always going to be accidental or stray spells or people that accidentally get in the way. Either way, if we win, then they will accept that necessary sacrifices were made for the sake of victory and if we lose, the Dark Lord won't give a rats arse about a dead man" Severus grinned, although he was Hermione's Colonel Brandon, he was still a Slytherin underneath it all.

Hermione took a deep breath, in other words Severus was planning to cause Sirius Black much damage and make it seem like an accident. The terrifying thing was that, if anyone could pull that off, it would be Severus who would achieve that aim. Hermione relented.

"Alright, but only if there is war chaos and only if he poses an immediate threat. However, for the time being, let him think he is winning" she told him.

"Are you referring to Black or Dumbledore?" Severus asked her.

"Both" she whispered in his ear huskily.

"Hmmm...bad girl" he growled back at her.

She giggled.

Severus was about to snog her senseless, when he thought about another matter of importance.

"Easter Holidays begin at the end of next week. Have you decided what you're going to do?" Severus asks her.

Hermione hesitated.

"I would be comfortable going to Grimmauld now that Sirius is not there but I would have to stay in another room, on a different floor, obviously. If that's not doable, then I will just stay here" she replied.

"What if there was a third option" Severus said.

Intrigued, Hermione looked at him curiously.

"Of course the Order is going to want to see you at some point to talk about everything but, what if I offered my home to you?" He asked her.

"As in, your actual house?" She asked amazed.

Severus nodded.

"That would be wonderful but I wouldn't be allowed though, would I?" She asked looking slightly dismayed.

"Not necessarily, Minerva is now your guardian, of sorts, it would require her consent but I think we could persuade her" Severus said.

Hermione grinned.

"That would be perfect Severus. We would have to spend a couple of days at headquarters but then we could retreat to sanctuary" she said.

"Also, the dark lord is travelling across the Easter break so; the chances of me being called away to meetings with him are slim. If the Order call a meeting then it won't matter, you can just come along with me and visit your friends. Alright then, I will ask Minerva about it tomorrow" he said to her.

She smiled and the pair of them chatted for a little while longer before Hermione decided to head up to her dormitory before curfew.

The following day Severus found himself in front of Minerva's office. He knocked hesitantly, suddenly feeling like a schoolboy once more.

"Come in" the cheerful voice of Minerva responded from behind the closed door.

Severus entered and immediately cast a few spells to ensure that their conversation was entirely private.

"What's the matter Severus?" Minerva asked worriedly when she saw the young man enter her office.

"It concerns Miss Granger and where she will be staying during the Easter break" Severus began.

Minerva raised an eyebrow; she had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"Go on" she encouraged.

"I was wondering if I had your permission to take her to reside in my home for the duration of the break. She doesn't want to stay hear alone with Umbridge and that squad of hers and she does not really want to go the headquarters for obvious reasons. My home is safe, untraceable and I will promise to protect her" Severus said quickly.

Minerva smirked; it wasn't every day that you saw this man unnerved or ill at ease.

"But you only have the one useable bedroom at your home Severus. How would that work?" Minerva asked gleefully, she wanted to see him falter some more.

"She can have the bedroom and I will take the sofa" Severus said, he could feel himself beginning to sweat at Minerva's stare.

"I will pretend to believe that Mr Snape" she said as she quirked her eyebrow once more.

She knew what was going on between the two by now; many portraits had reported to her about her favourite student and her late night wanderings down into the snake pit. It did not take a genius to put the pieces together if you already knew enough.

Severus looked surprised at her comment.

"Don't play idle Severus, we both know what has been going on between the two of you for quite some time" she informed him.

Severus didn't even bother trying to lie; Minerva was like a dog with a bone. Actually, she was more like a cat with a ball of string. She wouldn't let go of it. Severus sighed.

"You haven't said anything-" Severus began but he was cut off.

"If I thought that there was anything less than honourable going on behind those doors of yours, I would've stepped in before anything began. You are both good for each other, you challenge each other, you test one another's intellect and you understand one another on a level I have never seen before. So yes, Severus, you may take Hermione and just get her away from everything. Spend a couple of weeks in the muggle world; I will give you some funds for the pair of you to have some treats. I will inform Miss Granger of the situation" she informed him.

He was about to decline her offer of money but Minerva wasn't having any of it. She cancelled all the charms around her office and dismissed him before anything else could be discussed. Severus realised he had been dismissed and knew he wasn't going to win, so he begrudgingly accepted her offer and left her office.

Once he was back in his rooms, Severus suddenly felt extremely happy, nervous and excited, all in one. He was going to spend two weeks with his Hermione and no one was going to be able to stop them from just being two normal people who were head over heels in love with one another.


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N: Once again thank you all! I hope you have all had a fantastic Easter and I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. This is where it all begins to change, I will probably only have about ten chapters left for this story. I'm not sure yet, if I will do a sequel but I will leave this story with room to do one if I want to. Many Thanks, I hope you enjoy!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Potential mentions of sexual assault, violence, bad language.**

Chapter 47 – Grimmauld Place, Bedrooms and Lupin

The first week of April came and it was the beginning of the Easter holiday and Hermione was excited but very nervous. She had been given permission to stay with her Severus for the holiday and she had been told, by Severus, that it was going to be a relaxing holiday and that they were going to do normal things and leave the nightmare of wizarding life behind them for a couple of weeks, with the exception of any death eater and Order meetings of course.

Hermione was truly excited; she wanted nothing more than to have her Severus whisk her off to a secret location that only they knew about. But first, Hermione had promised to go and see the rest of the Order members to tell her story and so that they could see that she was truly alright. Hermione was extremely nervous about doing this but Severus had promised that he would stand by her side and assist in the telling of her story should she become too overwhelmed. So she begrudgingly agreed that the best thing to do was see the Order on the first day of the holidays so that she could get it out of the way and enjoy the rest of her time with Severus.

"Are you ready?" Severus asked her.

She looked up at him and nodded, she grabbed the bag that she had packed in preparation for the two weeks ahead and she headed towards the apparition point that was just outside of the school grounds.

The two of them were leaving in the early hours of the morning as they were less likely to be seen leaving. It had been decided my McGonagall that Hermione and Severus would go to Grimmauld Place for the night and then speak to the Order in the morning. Harry and the other Weasley children wouldn't arrive from Hogwarts until that afternoon. So Hermione had all day to deal with the Order before anyone else arrived. Hermione and Severus would then spend one more evening at headquarters as an official Order meeting was due to take place after Hermione had spoken to the Order.

Severus held onto Hermione and the two apparated to the spot near to Grimmauld Place. They walked in silence as they got closer and closer to the house and once outside, Hermione stopped and drank in the place that had become her personal hell all those months ago. She took a deep, unsteady breath and exhaled loudly.

Severus noticed her distress, he had been expecting it, and so he pulled her close to him and held her.

"Just say the word and I promise we will never come back here again" he said as she buried her head into his chest.

Hermione shook her head.

"No, I need to do this, I think it will help" she told him.

He nodded and after another moment, Hermione indicated that she was ready and the two made their way to the front door.

They entered the house and Hermione was almost surprised at how ordinary the place still looked. Nothing has changed, it was still exactly the same and she was unsure why she had thought that it would've changed since she had last been here.

As Severus made his way down the hall towards the kitchen, Hermione could hear some small noises. Curious, and slightly nervous, she caught up with Severus and grabbed onto his hand.

The noise was coming from the kitchen and as the two entered, they came face to face with Molly and Remus. Upon hearing movement, the mother and the wolf halted mid-conversation and their eyes jumped to the kitchen doorway to see the fearsome Severus Snape protectively holding the hand of Hermione Granger. All adults had their wands pointed at one another.

"Severus! Hermione! Hello! We were not expecting you until the morning" Molly exclaimed as she went over to greet the two of them.

"We thought it would be less suspicious if we left in the middle of the night as there is no one around to see us leave" Severus replied.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

Molly's eyes moved from Severus to Hermione and she took in the girl's appearance. She was pale and she was thin, Molly almost reprimanded the girl on her health but managed to hold her tongue. There was no need to upset the girl.

"Are you two hungry? I can make you something to eat" Molly offered them but Severus quickly declined.

"The offer is kind Madame however, it is two in the morning and we do not expect you to cook for us now. We can wait until breakfast. I think the two of us are exhausted from travel, we really want to just go to our rooms and sleep" Severus said.

"Are you sure? Because I don't mind, Hermione dear you look a bit pale, do you want something to eat? I really think you ought to have something" Molly asked her gently.

Hermione knew that Molly was just doing her natural mothering and she felt a small smile creep onto her face.

"No thank you, I'm alright, besides my stomach is a little unsettled from the apparition. I still haven't got used to that yet" Hermione admitted.

"Very well, I will not cook you anything but I request that you eat this, it will help settle your stomach" Molly ordered as she handed Hermione the biggest roll she had ever seen in her life.

"Thank you" Hermione said as she took the bread from Molly and split it in half, offering the other half to Severus.

Severus was about to decline when he noticed Hermione's 'I dare you to argue with me face' which promised hell if he refused her.

He sighed and took the half she was offering and the two of them sat at the kitchen table and ate. Molly also poured them a drink each and set them down on the table in front of them. The pair thanked her.

"Want to take a picture Lupin? It will last longer" Severus finally snapped when Remus would not stop staring at them.

Remus had been silent since the two had entered the kitchen. He didn't really know what to say, he still felt guilty and wanted to apologise to Hermione but at the same time, the Order members had been told that Hermione would be willing to talk about things the following morning and so Remus did not want to upset her by bringing anything up now. So he took to just staring at the two of them and he noticed that Severus was very tame around Hermione.

Remus and Molly had watched astonished as Hermione had glared at the fearsome Potions Master to take some food and he had given in immediately instead of rebuked her for her insolence.

"Sorry" Remus murmured and averted his eyes back to Molly.

After Severus and Hermione had finished eating, Severus asked about their rooms. Molly looked uncomfortable for a second.

"You will both be staying on the third floor with Arthur and I, the twins and Ginny will be in the rooms on the first floor. However, Bill is coming to spend Easter with us this year and he might be bringing his new girlfriend, Fleur, with him. We are not sure yet" here Molly hesitated.

Hermione and Severus stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

"We are not sure how deep the relationship is between Bill and Fleur. If they are comfortable sharing a room then Hermione can share a room with Ginny and Severus can have the third floor room to himself. However, if Fleur decides to share with Ginny then Severus can share with Bill. Or...the two of you can share the third floor twin room. As much as I disapprove the third option, it will only be for two nights, the decision is yours" Molly finished.

Severus and Hermione shared a look and Hermione nodded.

"I'm sure we can cope with sharing for a couple of evenings Molly" Severus said.

Molly looked like she wanted to protest and Remus' eyebrows had shot up to his hairline. Hermione tried to hide her grin.

Remus recovered first.

"And you're alright with that Hermione?" Remus spoke for the first time.

"Yes thank you Remus, I'd feel more comfortable sharing with the Professor than I am with staying on the first floor at all. I'd also feel safer if he was close by" Hermione said confidently.

"Well in that case your room is on the third floor right at the end of the corridor" Molly said, she was aware that Severus had been helping Hermione and although she disapproved, if Hermione felt safer with Severus then so be it.

Severus and Hermione thanked Molly for the food and the room arrangement and the two made their way up to their room.

Once they got to their room, they saw that there were two single beds on either side of the room and thankfully they had their own bathroom. Hermione picked the bed she wanted and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. Severus got ready for bed in the room and waited for Hermione.

When Hermione came out of the bathroom, Severus took his turn. Whilst he was in there, Hermione turned and pushed the two beds together to make one big bed, she locked the bedroom door and climbed into the bed.

Severus walked out the bathroom and paused when he saw that his Hermione had moved the beds together. He chuckled and made his way to the bed.

"We best get some sleep darling, it's going to be an exhausting day for you" Severus said.

She agreed and the two snuggled up and quickly fell asleep.

Severus was glad that he decided to bring Hermione here in the middle of the night; he knew that she would be tired and would fall asleep quickly and she would not have much energy to think about where she was.

There was a knocking on the door that woke him up, he yawned and went to get up to answer the door. Before he could, the person on the other side had clearly grown impatient and had used a simple unlocking charm to open the door. Severus cursed himself for forgetting to cast the wards around the door.

Remus walked into the room and promptly froze. He set eyes on a near naked Severus Snape in bed with his equally near naked student.

Remus gasped and immediately went to run out the room. Severus was quicker and he had grabbed his wand and locked, silenced and warded the room to stop Remus getting out.

"What the hell Severus?" Remus spat out angrily.

Hermione startled awake and yelled in surprise at the unexpected guest.

"Hermione! Are you alright?" Remus asked her.

"Of course I'm alright! What are you doing entering unannounced?" Hermione asked, whilst trying to modestly cover herself up with the duvet as she was only in her undies.

"I knocked but you didn't answer, the rest of the Order is here and Molly has made breakfast. She sent me up here to get you. What the hell are you two doing sharing a bed? I thought this was a twin room? Also, there is a sofa there Severus, what do you think you are playing at?" Remus yelled looking at the two.

"I assure you, there is nothing sinister going on here Lupin and thank you for the wakeup call, if you would kindly leave Hermione and I will be down shortly. And keep your damn mouth shut if you know what is good for you" Severus was losing his patience.

Remus looked stunned and saw Hermione modestly wriggling her way into Severus' shirt, Remus then looked angry.

"You can't expect me to leave here knowing that you two are like this. Can't you see how wrong this is! What you're doing is no different to what Sirius did!" Remus shouted.

Severus' patience snapped but Hermione exploded in anger.

"HOW DARE YOU! What the hell gives you the right to say what is wrong in my life? Why do you get to dictate who I can and cannot have in my life? Furthermore, don't you EVER let me hear you compare Severus to Sirius Black again. There is a complete difference between them and do you know why? Severus can take no for an answer, Severus believed me enough to help me when I needed help most. It was Severus who healed me, it was Severus who helped get rid of my nightmares, it was all Severus! What did the rest of you do? Fuck all!" She screamed.

Severus didn't know what to do, he needed to calm her down, her magic was vibrating quite violently through the room.

Remus was terrified, he had never seen Hermione like this before and he hadn't meant to upset her. He had just been angry that Severus was taking advantage of her and had clearly got the wrong end of the stick.

"I told Dumbledore, Remus, and he did nothing. I told you and you told Dumbledore and I got punished for it. I told Severus and do you know what he said to me? He said 'is there anything I can do for you?' And he has been doing everything that I have asked of him for nearly a year! So don't you come in here and make Severus out to be the bad guy, don't you dare think about telling anyone else your twisted fucking lies because I am sick of it all! I just want support; I just want you to be on my side for once. Is that too much to ask? Because if it is, I will ask Severus to relieve you of some of your memories from this morning and we will be finding somewhere else to stay" Hermione finished, her throat aching from shouting so much.

Severus had stood behind her a while ago and tried to massage her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down and it had been working.

"Hermione, take a few deep breaths, are you alright?" Severus asked her.

Hermione immediately felt tears spring to her eyes, she was already emotionally exhausted and she had been awake less than 15 minutes.

Remus saw the tears and instantly felt guilty, he had been hoping to beg for Hermione's forgiveness at how he had treated her but he had blown it already.

"But Hermione, instead of sleeping in another room or on the sofa, he slept in the same bed as you. A teacher who willingly gets into a bed with his student is seriously messed up" Remus tried to argue.

Hermione growled.

She walked to the bed and pulled the sheets back.

"Actually Remus, I pushed the two single beds together, making one big bed for the both of us. Do you think I would have done that if I thought Severus was going to do something inappropriate? Do you think I would have stripped almost naked if I felt uncomfortable? The bottom line is that I trust him more than I trust anyone else and if you can't accept that then you can go fuck yourself!" She said to him.

Remus let out a deep breath and looked at Hermione. She was stood in the middle of a room, dressed in her Professor's shirt, whilst said Professor stood in just his underwear whilst trying to calm and comfort her.

Realisation set in and Remus calmed down and sat on the sofa and looked thoughtfully at the pair.

"You two no longer have just the standard professional relationship anymore I take it?" Remus asked although he didn't really need an answer.

Hermione chewed on her lip for a moment and decided to let Severus do the talking.

"Well done Lupin! Did you manage to observe that all on your own?" Severus muttered sarcastically.

Hermione tried not to grin at his sarcasm but failed miserably. Remus noticed and gritted his teeth for the sake of keeping the peace.

"You feel some sort of affection for each other then?" He asked.

Hermione nodded whilst Severus shook his head.

Hermione frowned at him.

"I don't just have affection for her Lupin; I love and adore her, unconditionally. I know it may seem wrong and I know we would never be approved of but I love her anyway. If there is one person who can understand the concept of loving someone they shouldn't, then it's you" Severus pointed out to him.

Remus relented and gave in.

"Alright, as long as you're sure Hermione?" Remus asked.

"I'm sure" she replied.

"And it's consensual?" He asked.

"Completely, from both sides" she agreed.

"And I can't tell anyone?" He asked.

"You won't if you want me to consider that you have any redeeming factors about yourself and if you want my forgiveness. Because I assure you Remus, if you ruin the one, constant bit of happiness that I have had through the darkest period of my life, I will never forgive you" she warned him.

"Slytherin" Severus muttered.

Hermione grinned up at him.

"An honorary Slytherin" she agreed.

Severus chuckled.

Remus watched the two of them interacting and agreed that they did make a compatible pair.

"Alright, I won't say a thing; if that's what you want Hermione. However, if he does hurt you or you doubt him for a second, please come and tell me and I will help you" he said sincerely.

Hermione laughed and she laughed and she laughed, as if someone had told her the most hysterical joke she had ever heard.

Remus and Severus looked at each other and then looked back to the laughing girl in front of them.

"What's so funny?" Remus asked.

Hermione collected herself.

"I just wanted to say thank you Remus for not telling anyone and being sincere about being there for me. It's just funny that when it's doubt about Severus, you have my back. When it was your friend, you told me I needed professional help. It's funny, isn't it?" She murmured to herself.

Remus looked guilty once more and went to leave.

Severus nodded at him in acknowledgement and Remus nodded back. Severus unearned the room and Remus left silently.


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N: Once again thank you all! I'm glad you're still enjoying this fanfic. Here is the next chapter, I hope you like it! Many Thanks!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Potential mentions of sexual assault, violence, bad language and other sexual situations.**

 **Chapter 48 – Breakfast, Morning Fun and Preparing for the Inevitable**

"Are you alright love?" Severus asked her as soon as he was sure Remus had gone away.

Hermione nodded.

"Let's just get dressed and get this over with. The sooner I talk, the sooner we can leave" she said as she buried her head into his shoulder.

Severus muttered an agreement and then his thoughts turned to something else.

"Hermione, I just wanted to say that if I have ever made you feel uncomfortable, or if I ever do, I want you to tell me and not be afraid to tell me. I hate to say it but Lupin is right and I will personally deliver myself to him wandless if I ever hurt you" Severus told her.

She kissed him gently.

"I trust that you never will Severus" she said.

They got dressed and ready and headed downstairs to breakfast.

They walked in and everyone was already seated, all the Order members were there, including Dumbledore, who had been non-existent for a month. The kitchen was packed and there was only just about enough space to squeeze Hermione and Severus in. They may as well have been packed like sardines.

Remus had already taken his seat next to Tonks and had apparently kept to his word seeing as Severus was still standing.

"Come and get a fully cooked breakfast you two" Molly ordered the two of them. They both crammed themselves into their seats next to each other, McGonagall on Severus' other side and Arthur on Hermione's.

"Good morning Hermione" Arthur greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning Mr Weasley" Hermione said politely.

"Did you sleep well, Molly told me that you and Severus arrived awfully late last night" Arthur asked her.

"I slept well, thank you, we did arrive late but it was better that way - less eyes to see us leave" she replied.

"Ah yes, that was a good idea. Have you any plans for the holiday?" Arthur asked.

"Er, not really, I think I'm just going to relax a little, I've been looking forward to this break for a while" Hermione admitted.

Severus scoffed.

"Wow, Hermione Granger wanting to relax and not overwork herself to death, someone alert the Daily Prophet!" Severus exclaimed.

Hermione rolled her eyes and was about to reply when she thought better of it, it was all about keeping up appearances after all. The only indication that she gave was her knee nudging Severus' under the table. Hermione would definitely pay him back for that one.

She hid a smirk as a wicked idea hit her.

As so many people were squeezed together, Hermione knew that she could get away with a little fun and teach Severus a lesson.

She picked up her fork with one hand and began to eat her breakfast that Molly had just placed in front of her and she let her other hand drift under the table and her fingers started drawing circles on Severus' knee.

Severus looked at her curiously as she continued her conversation with Arthur, Severus concluded that she was doing subconsciously as a way of comfort for herself so, he let her.

Severus was just cutting into his bacon, when her hand moved further up his left thigh. Hermione's hand made its way to the top of Severus' thigh where she began slowly massaging the inside of the thigh, a spot she knew turned Severus on.

Severus froze and just about caught the groan that was about to escape from his mouth, however, a small noise did manage to make it past his lips. Fortunately, the only ones who noticed were Minerva, Arthur, Hermione and Remus - who had been watching them from across the table.

"Molly makes a delicious breakfast, this bacon is amazing" Severus muttered just for them - and Molly -to hear.

Arthur smiled and Molly thanked him, she was pleasantly surprised, she never normally got such high praise from the strict Professor.

They went back to eating and Severus tried to send a subtle warning glance to Hermione but she was facing away from him again and had engaged in a conversation with Tonks.

Hermione was still massaging Severus' thigh and she let her little finger slowly start teasing Severus balls and cock. Severus had to hold his breath. He slowly moved his hand down under the table to try and pry her off his leg but she held her hand firm and he knew he would draw too much attention to himself if he tried to harshly push her away. He noticed Lupin starting to look at him curiously and went back to eating his dinner, as if his Hermione did not have her hand now glued to his rapidly hardening dick.

She began to slowly, teasingly, move her hand up and down his now fully erect length and Severus could already feel his insides light up. It had been a while since he and Hermione had been together and sharing a bed with her near naked form last night had not helped matters. He had awoken hard and throbbing against her that morning and was the reason why he did not immediately stand to confront Lupin. No, instead he had to remain hidden under the duvet until his stubborn cock decided to give in and wilt. It had taken long enough, even with Lupin's presence.

But now, he was really in need and all he could think about was relief, he suddenly regretted not putting on any underwear under his trousers before coming down this morning. However, he refused to soil his trousers at the breakfast table with the rest of the Order present. No, he would just have to keep himself in control.

It proved difficult, after another couple of minutes, Severus was trying not to let on how breathless he was becoming and had resorted to periodically holding his breath when an intense wave of pleasure hit. Severus was slowly gaining the complete attention of Minerva and Lupin and they were both looking at him wondering what the hell was going on.

Hermione applied the right amount of pressure and Severus felt his trousers moisten slightly, he gasped in quiet surprise. The pre-cum had leaked from the top of his traitorous cock and he knew it would only be a short while before he exploded in his trousers.

Lupin fully understood what was going on now as his heightened wolf senses could tell him as much and he instantly blushed and averted his eyes to Hermione, who was still innocently wrapped up in conversation. Minerva heard Severus' gasp and looked at the man worriedly. Had he been to a death eater meeting and been hurt? Had he suddenly remembered something important? She remained watching and wondering what was wrong.

Severus however, was on the brink of release. He could feel himself start to sweat from the effort of restraining himself. All he could hear was white noise in his ears where he was fully concentrating on not embarrassing himself or making any noise. He was about to cum when Hermione let go of him and her hand retreated out from under the table as she nonchalantly carried on her conversation.

Severus had prepared himself for a climax that now wasn't going to happen. His dick protested painfully as it still throbbed heavily in his trousers.

Severus wanted to get up and leave the room so he could take care of the issue but he realised he was still sitting on his robe and in order to leave he would have to cover himself with it as his mistake to forego underwear made his situation obvious. The problem was that to get his robe, he would have to stand up, again he refused to stand up in front of everyone with the crotch of his trousers bulging obviously. He resigned himself to have to wait awhile until his erection went away.

He wanted to curse the girl but at the same time he wanted her to finish what she had started - damn minx. He would get his revenge.

Severus shifted backward slightly so he could inspect if there had been any damage done to the front of his trousers. He could see some small wet patches where he had pre-cum. Minerva who had been watching Severus like a hawk, followed his gaze downwards to his lap and saw the state of the man's trousers. She tried not to gasp and immediately looked up, out of the corner of her eye she noticed Severus give Hermione a glare.

'Surely Miss Granger wouldn't -' Minerva's thought process was broken when she saw Hermione subtly look at Severus, then quickly down at his lap, then back up to his face with a gleam in her eyes and a hidden smirk on her lips.

Minerva McGonagall almost had a heart attack right there. She was a very old fashioned witch and she could not believe what she had just seen.

She took a note of Severus' slightly sweaty forehead and crimson colouring to his cheeks before deciding that she would talk to the pair of them a bit later about behaviour around the breakfast table.

Breakfast finished shortly after and now it was time for the inevitable but no one knew how to voice what was going to happen next. Hermione decided that she should speak.

Look, I know you all want to hear my story and you all have questions. So, can I suggest that we meet comfortably in the lounge area in about an hour? That way, we can let Molly's delicious breakfast go down a little bit, I don't want to make anyone ill with my story, and I have the chance to grab a quick shower. Is that agreeable with everyone?

They all agreed, although Dumbledore did not seem so pleased to procrastinate the meeting. But everyone was against him and so he would just have to suck it up. To be honest, Hermione had completely forgotten he was there. However, this was her story and she was going to tell it her way.

Everyone got up to move around and prepare to go back to their rooms. Arthur went to send a floo message to the other Order members, such as Moody and the ministry workers, who wanted to be present for Hermione's story and told them to be there in an hour.

Severus saw an opportunity, whilst everyone was moving about, to grab his robe and quickly put it around him. Hermione quickly left the kitchen and she bounded up the stairs, towards her shared room, as quickly as she possibly could. She knew Severus would make her pay for what she had done to him at the breakfast table and she was trying to get a head start. She knew if she could make it to the room before he did, she could lock herself in the bathroom.

She threw open the bedroom door and turned to shut it behind her. She leaned her forehead against it for a moment to catch her breath and she then put her ear up to the door to see if she could hear any movement close by on the stairs. After a few moments of hearing nothing, she exhaled in relief. Severus must have got caught up talking to Minerva or another Order member.

She quickly turned around, intending to get her toiletries together so she could get a shower, however, she ran straight into a wall.

The impact was so hard and sudden that she fell back on her arse, in shock she looked up to see Severus looking down at her with his arms folded.

"And what was that little display about?" He asked her.

She gulped.

"I was nervous and it took my mind off everything" she admitted.

"Do you know how dangerous that was?! Both Lupin and Minerva knew what was going on. If anyone else had noticed-" he left the sentence hanging.

"I'm sorry Severus, I didn't mean to put you in that position but watching you trying to keep control was so arousing, I nearly chewed my lip off" she told him.

She stood up and Severus immediately moved menacingly towards her, trapping her between his body and the door. Hermione could feel his rock hard erection against her stomach and gasped.

"You're hard again?" She asked a little breathlessly.

Severus shook his head.

"I'm hard still" he whispered against her neck, correcting her. He slowly pulled her shirt up and over her head.

"Gods" she moaned as he nibbled on her neck, kissed down her chest and stomach. His hands drifted towards her trousers.

He pulled her trousers off and was met with the sight and scent of her arousal on her knickers and he leaned forward to kiss the tops of her thighs.

Hermione moaned and Severus moved her towards the bed. He lay her down and took off his own shirt and trousers.

"You're going to finish what you started Minx" he said to her.

She made a pleasured noise of agreement as he lay on top of her. He ground his cock against her arousal and the pair of the moaned.

Hermione grabbed his head and pulled him down to her so that she could snog him senseless. She secured her legs around his waist and ground into him.

That was their last shred of control. In the next few moments they were both completely naked, their bodies were on fire and Hermione could hardly take it anymore.

"Please" she begged.

"Tell me what you want" Severus said to her.

"Please, I want you inside me" she gasped out, her body painfully wanted him now.

"Maybe I should leave you a little longer as punishment" he growled in her ear.

"Fuck" she screamed, almost in tears at the pressure she was feeling.

"Hurry up, please! I will do anything" she begged him again.

"Anything?" He asked breathlessly, she quickly nodded.

"Like what" he pressed, purposefully prolonging her bliss filled agony. He teased her entrance with his cock and stopped with his tip just inside her, he waited.

She moaned.

"I will help you tidy your cupboards, mark essays, whatever you want, just please do it! I will wash your broomstick" she screamed.

"How do you plan to do that if I don't have a broomstick" Severus teased.

"Who said I was speaking literally" she said as she flexed her opening around Severus length.

That was Severus' undoing and he pushed himself inside her in one deep thrust.

Hermione screamed in pleasure and Severus had to clench all his muscles as his body threatened to release.

"Please move" Hermione begged after a moment.

Severus did just that, the two of them found a steady rhythm and Severus watched Hermione's flushed face in pleasure.

Severus was getting closer to climax and so he pushed harder and deeper inside of her, hitting that spot inside her that drove her wild.

"Fuck" she screamed repeatedly, she was on the edge, she felt an odd build up in her body and Hermione felt for one short second like she was about to pee but she didn't have time for that as her body released and she orgasmed hard around him.

Severus felt Hermione's orgasm, he could feel her juices flow out of her like Niagara Falls and he couldn't believe it. Had she just ejaculated? The thought sent Severus over the edge and he came hard. They rode out their climaxes and eventually collapsed in bliss.

Severus grinned at her post-sex body, Hermione opened her eyes and looked embarrassed at Severus. Severus frowned slightly.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm sorry I think I peed on you" she said so quickly that Severus almost missed what she had said.

"What?" Severus asked.

"I felt it, I peed on you, just look at the bedsheets" she gestured to the large wet patch spread out on the sheets.

Severus chuckled. Hermione was confused, how was he taking this so calmly?

"You didn't urinate on me, I can assure you. What you just experienced was ejaculation. It's very rare but highly pleasurable for the female as I understand it" he informed her.

Hermione blushed, she had only ever heard about that in the rough, dirty, romance books that her mother used to keep hidden from her.

"It certainly helped you 'wash my broom', didn't it?" He asked rhetorically.

Hermione groaned in embarrassment but giggled.

"I cannot believe I said that, I never thought I would be one for dirty talk" she said through laughter.

"It is surprising what sex makes you say and do" Severus agreed.

They both laughed a little more and then Severus finally sat up.

"We need to get cleaned up and dressed, we are due back downstairs in about 20 minutes" Severus said.

"20 minutes?" Hermione shrieked, immediately running for the bathroom and jumping in the shower.

Severus chuckled at her and then went about casting some cleansing charms on the bedsheets and he separated the beds and put the two of them back where they were on opposite sides of the room, just in case anyone else should come in.

Hermione emerged from the shower in what was her quickest shower ever and she indicated that Severus was welcome to use the shower and she would dress in the bedroom. Severus entered the bathroom and got in the shower.

Hermione dressed and she heard the shower in the bathroom turn off and so she waited for Severus to finish in the bathroom when there was a knock at the door. She opened it and it was Tonks and Lupin.

"Hey Hermione" Tonks said as she entered the room with Remus behind her.

"Tonks!" Hermione exclaimed loudly and enthusiastically in greeting as the two girls hugged. Hermione was secretly hoping that she had shouted loud enough that Severus had heard and would not walk out in just a towel or in the nude. That would cause problems.

"We've just come to see how you are and if you wanted anything before you went downstairs" Tonks asked.

Hermione shook her head.

"No thank you Tonks, I'm all ready" she said confidently.

"Excellent, well I just need to speak with Molly and then we will be waiting downstairs" she said as she skipped out of the room.

Remus waited in the room for a moment and was about to say something when he picked up a familiar scent, the scent of sweat, musk, arousal and sex. Remus froze and stared at Hermione, who was looking confusedly at him.

Severus chose that moment to exit the bathroom, dressed and ready to go downstairs.

Remus stared at the two in disbelief and looked like he wanted to say something. Severus guessed that Lupin's wolf senses had picked up on the smell of sex in the room and Severus smirked. Remus' eyes were wide and his mouth hung open as he tried to formulate a sentence. Instead, he turned a little green and promptly left the room.

Severus chuckled.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked perplexed.

"He's a wolf, heightened sense of smell" Severus said.

Hermione gasped and flushed red in embarrassment.

"You mean he could smell sex?" She asked.

"Basically" Severus confirmed, nodding.

Hermione grimaced at the thought. However, now was not the time. Downstairs there was the whole Order waiting for her to hear her story. She just needed to her through the next couple of hours and it would be over. They would all know everything and she and Severus could look forward to a break.

"You ready?" Severus asked.

"I'm ready" she said.

The pair left the room and headed downstairs.


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N: Thank you all for your comments, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I want to give a special thank you to Snamione4life, who has literally binge read this whole story in less than a week and commented on every single chapter! There are many more of you who have been with me since the beginning and have been writing reviews throughout this whole story. I cannot be more thankful to you all and I will make sure to thank you all at the end of this fanfic. However, for now, here is the next chapter! Enjoy! :)**

 **A/N: Potential mentions of sexual assault, self-harm, violence, bad language and other sexual situation.**

 **Chapter 49 – Telling The Order**

Hermione and Severus were the last to enter the large downstairs lounge and everyone immediately went silent. They wanted to know her story and she felt that she was finally able to tell it. The only thing that was putting her off was Albus Dumbledore, who was going to be sitting directly opposite her and she knew that he was going to attempt to be intimidating.

Hermione grimaced; she sat in the seat that had been left for her to sit in, at the front of the room with everyone sat in a semi-circle facing her. Severus took the seat that was vacant towards the back on Hermione's left. She could hardly see him.

She tried to begin to speak but found it difficult with Dumbledore staring at her, not even blinking.

"Are you alright Hermione?" Minerva asked from her right.

Hermione gulped, she noticed Kingsley sat in the front seat of Severus' row.

"Kingsley, can I be a pain and ask you to swap seats with Professor Snape?" She asked him.

Kingsley looked confused but agreed to her request, meaning that she could now see Severus, who was sat diagonally to her left in front of her.

She moved her chair so that it was angled directly in front of him.

Dumbledore went to halt her.

"Excuse me Miss Granger but your seat was placed there for a reason. Now, you have your back to half the room. I feel it would be better if you placed the chair back" Dumbledore said, he did not want her to be looking away from him as she spoke.

She addressed the headmaster and those she now had her back turned upon.

"Forgive me headmaster, it's just this is a difficult story for me to tell. Professor Snape already knows this story in its entirety, so for me to face him, it's just like me retelling him a story he already knows. It makes this process slightly easier for me, that's all. I don't mean to be rude to the rest of you but I would feel more comfortable if I was to sit like this. I also have my head of house in my eyesight and also Mr and Mrs Weasley who have treated me as if I were their own daughter. These people are the ones who I have always felt confident in talking to, so I wish to face their general direction as a way of keeping me calm" she reasoned.

The rest of the room agreed and the Order members behind her encouraged her by stating they did not mind that she have their backs to them.

Dumbledore nearly had steam coming from his ears as he watched her get her way and face towards Severus and Minerva.

"That's better" she remarked as she sat.

"Now I can begin" she declared.

"Last August, I was told that for my own safety, I was to stay here at the Order headquarters and for my parent's safety, they would be taken to a safe house. I agreed and, once my parents had given their consent, I was brought here and it was decided that because I was underage, Professor Snape, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black would be watching out for me until the Weasley's and Harry arrived a week or so later. However, a few days after I arrived here, Sirius Black had gone out drinking and Professor Snape had to go and find him and bring him back to this safe house. However, in Black's drunken state, he made his way into the room which I was staying in and he bound me to the bed so I couldn't move. I begged him to stop and not to do anything but he just carried on and then sexually assaulted me. He then left me in the room and I passed out from exhaustion. After that night, I was too scared to say anything and didn't know what to do however, there was an Order meeting a couple of days later so I decided to tell Professor Dumbledore and he told me that Sirius Black was too important to Harry that he wasn't going to do anything and that I should keep quiet if I wanted Harry to win this war. However, I started having night terrors and as Professor Snape was staying in the room next to mine, he heard me screaming and eventually got annoyed with it and demanded that I tell him what was going on. So I did. He helped me psychologically and he even took me to a muggle hospital to get checked out for any damages..." she told her story and nervously took in the faces of those around her.

Some Order members kept their faces blank, others looked horrified, others looked ill. Molly was in tears and Arthur looked at Hermione encouragingly. They still could not believe that this had been going on under their noses and they had not noticed a thing. Severus held her eye contact and gave her secretive smiles of reassurance. She didn't dare look at Dumbledore.

"Then what happened Miss Granger?" Moody asked.

"Then I spent the rest of the summer fairly normally, with the Weasley family, Harry and other Order members mooching about, I knew that Sirius Black was less likely to try something, especially with Professor Snape knowing, he placed wards around my room after he found out so he would be alerted if anyone other than myself tried to enter my room. However, Professor Snape was called back to Hogwarts a couple of days before the students were due to arrive back at school – apparently this is normal so the teachers can have meetings and be debriefed and such. As soon as Professor Snape had gone, so was his protection and Sirius Black did not waste any time in coming after me again. He sexually assaulted me again, I had given up by that point, I felt nothing, I just wanted to die, I grabbed my razor and I slit my wrists, I don't really remember much else after that, I think I just completely shut down" she whispered, tearing up slightly. She could've cursed in that moment, she had promised herself that she wasn't going to cry.

It took her about an hour to finally finish her whole story and she sat quietly, waiting for someone to indicate what she needed to do next.

Moody finally stood up and slowly approached her. He levitated his chair and moved it so he was near her.

"Miss Granger, would you mind if I ask you a few more questions?" he asked her.

She hesitated and glanced towards Minerva.

"And why does she need to answer these questions?" Minerva asked the man sternly, she stood up and moved so she was right by Hermione and took her intimidating stance behind the girl.

Moody looked at Minerva's displeased face and hesitated before nodding.

"It's for when Black goes on trial. We can use it as evidence" Moody told her.

Minerva nodded sceptically.

"Fine, but if there is a question that she does not want to answer or there is a question that I feel is unfair or I disapprove of. She will not answer. Is that clear?" Minerva asked rhetorically.

Moody quickly and subtly looked towards Dumbledore and then back to Minerva. Minerva, Severus and Hermione noticed.

"Unfortunately, you do not have that authority however; I will consider rewording the question or asking a variation of it, if the question is a little difficult for her to answer. Does that satisfy you?" He asked Minerva.

Minerva shook her head.

"Well, you don't have much of a choice" Moody said getting annoyed.

"Actually I do, since Miss Granger's parents passed away in December, I am Hermione's registered, legal guardian. As she is underage, this will all need my consent. If I do not agree with the way you conduct this 'interview', I will deny the ministry my consent. Now I ask again, am I clear?" She said angrily, in the way that made her students uncomfortable.

Knowing that, legally, Minerva was in the right, Moody agreed to Minerva's terms much to the disapproving look of Dumbledore. Clearly he hadn't realised that Minerva had been legally declared as Hermione's guardian and he had now backed himself into a corner.

Hermione waited for Moody to begin.

"Miss Granger, just to clarify, you said that Sirius Black sexually assaulted you, are you sure that the interaction wasn't consensual in any way?" Moody asked.

Hermione gritted her teeth.

"I'm positive" she confirmed sternly.

Moody nodded.

"Last summer, there were rumours circulating around this house and after you started back at school, that you had a crush on Sirius Black. Can you prove that there was no relationship between the two of you?" Moody asked.

These questions were shockingly bad, it was like he was trying to find something to doubt her and use against her. She repressed the urge to huff at the questions.

"Nope, none, I met Sirius Black for the first time, in my third year on the night he was detained in one of Hogwarts' towers after he had broken into the school not long after he escaped Azkaban. The next time I saw him was when I was brought here for the summer. Also, I've never had any interest in Sirius Black romantically, that was a joke made by the Weasley twins as a way of teasing me and trying to piss me off. However, everyone took the comments seriously and no one wanted anything to do with me and so, they accused me of being a slut and a whore but the reality was the complete opposite. So, no I have never had any close connection to Black" she said.

The questions went on. They were pathetic! Hermione couldn't believe that they even classed as legitimate questions that he had to ask her. However she calmly answered every question put to her and if anything, the questions only helped towards her case as they encouraged her to be specific on particular bits of information that she had been a bit vague about in her original explanation.

"Now more recently, there was an article written about you by Skeeter in the Prophet. Do you have any idea how that information got to her?" Moody asked her.

Hermione knew she had to be careful about how she answered this question.

"I'm afraid I don't sir, not entirely anyway. When I discussed this with Professor Snape, he suggested that Skeeter was on friendly terms with someone who worked inside Azkaban and was feeding her information" Hermione said, she looked over towards Severus.

"Yes, Miss Granger is correct. The Skeeter woman is notorious for her affairs with death eaters. One of them is Dolohov and she told me that he had told her some of the information" Severus answered.

"But, he would not have known some of the more personal information Severus" Dumbledore interrupted.

Moody agreed.

"That's what I thought, so I set up a dinner appointment to try and convince her to tell me who gave her the information. She said that she wasn't entirely sure because she had been sent an anonymous letter containing the information and because that letter corresponded with the information she had received from her lover, she deemed it correct and so used it" Severus added.

"It seems convenient that she doesn't seem to know who sent the letter" Moody said.

Severus nodded.

"Again, that's what I thought. So, I convinced Skeeter that accepting anonymous letters could be dangerous and to let me check it over for curses and dark spells and such. She let me. I subtly read the letter and gave it back to her" Severus said.

"And how did that help?" Moody asked.

"Well, the information in the letter did contain the privy information that you were talking about. However, it was the handwriting that I found most interesting" Severus replied.

"What was interesting about the handwriting?" Moody asked.

"Well, whilst I was reading the letter, I made a copy of it and I gave Skeeter back the copy and I kept the original myself. That woman may be a Slytherin but when you are plying her with flattery, she can be dreadfully stupid and careless and she did not notice the difference. So, I have the original letter. What's wrong with the handwriting? Well, why don't you take a look at it yourself?" Severus said as he fished the letter from his pocket and handed it to Moody.

Moody looked at it for a moment before looking up at Dumbledore.

"This is your handwriting Albus" moody stated.

The room gasped as the Order members turned to look at their leader who now looked entirely defeated.

"You gave out secret ministry information?" Kingsley asked angrily.

"Now Kingsley-" Dumbledore began.

"Don't you dare make excuses for your actions!" Minerva shouted, causing the whole room to go into silence.

"You have done enough you pathetic old man! You have perverted the course of justice Albus and an underage schoolgirl has suffered because of it. Well enough! Moody, you had better sort him out" Minerva yelled in her thick Scottish accent.

"Albus, what the devil possessed you to give out top secret information? How about I go and tell Voldemort all of our top secrets, eh? What you have done Albus almost caused every single Azkaban worker Ministry official to be interrogated; they all almost lost their jobs when the information leaked out. But nobody suspected the complete awohl Albus Dumbledore because nobody had seen him for months and nobody knew what he was doing. For someone who wants to see justice for muggle-borns in the wizarding world and to stop a psychopath hell bent on destroying the world, you have a funny way of demonstrating it" Moody snapped aggressively at the old man.

"I did it because we need Sirius Black!" Dumbledore defended himself.

"I know he has done a dreadful thing and I know that it is despicable of me to try and defend him and make excuses for his actions but he is a powerful wizard and we need all the help that we are able to get for this upcoming war" Dumbledore said.

"Whilst that may be true Albus, you are not permitted to get involved with the affairs of the Ministry justice system, you are not Merlin Albus, you are not invincible and unfortunately the Ministry is struggling as it is at the moment due to everything that is going on. It's a power struggle Albus, it's a miracle that Fudge and the Ministry has not been overturned yet, so whilst they still have that small amount of control, they are going to exercise it. You thought that by doing all of this, they were going to let Sirius Black go? You're insane Albus, the Ministry have spoken about this and they have already ruled that it is not in their best interest to let a convicted murderer and rapist walk free without the correct proceedings and trials that are put in place. Now that we know where the information has actually come from, Sirius Black is now in deeper shit than he was before! You've got to interfere, haven't you Albus? If you hadn't have interfered, Black would've been trialled already and likely not convicted due to lack of evidence but now that this meeting has taken place and all us Ministry officials now know the truth, the trial will take longer. You cannot expect us to help you Albus, we are all under oath and now that we all know the truth, we are going to have to abide by that oath and it is highly likely that Black will be sentenced" Moody explained.

Dumbledore just stared at everyone in the room, they were all looking at him as if they were seeing him for the first time, they were seeing him for what he was, a manipulative, old man. Everyone was watching him, except Hermione, she refused to look at him, she was too scared to. She wanted nothing more than to hug Moody and thank him but she knew that would probably be the worst thing to do at that moment.

Moody then turned to Hermione.

"And you Miss Granger, you should have mentioned something far sooner than you did. It can also be argued that you perverting the course of justice yourself after keeping this information secret for almost a year" Moody warned her.

Hermione went to open her mouth but Severus stepped in before she had a chance to get a word in.

"Excuse me Moody? This girl has got nothing to or nobody to answer to, she has done absolutely nothing wrong. She told Albus, he did nothing. She told me but I could only help so far because of a ridiculous oath I made to Dumbledore whewn I became a spy. She told Lupin but he did not believe her, in fact, he went so far to journey to the school and tell the headmaster that he did not believe and stood by and watched as she was punished because she had told the truth. She confided in Draco Malfoy, who supported her without judgement, and the two have been the closest of friends ever since. She then told Minerva but again, Minerva was bound by oath to the headmaster and could not say anything to anyone either so she supported Miss Granger as much as she could instead. Then her little friends Potter and Weasley found out for a while they were not sure who they believed and not long after that, the school, the rest of you and the world found out and were once again, against her. The poor girl tried several times to say something, to get help but she was repeatedly denied it to the point that she believed herself unworthy of help, to the point that she felt that she deserved what had happened to her. I do not know who you think you are, speaking to her like that Moody, but I can assure you that you will not do it again. She told everyone she felt she could confide in and almost everyone turned against her. Hell, even two Slytherin's were willing to aid her when her own house would not. You accuse her of perverting the course of justice? I can assure you now Moody, if Albus tries to use that as a defence for Black or if you use it as something for consideration, I can provide evidence against it, every step of the way. Am I clear?" Severus said in his voice that he reserved for students when he wanted to terrify them. It was almost a promise and Severus looked directly into Moody's eyes for a few moments, both men unblinking, before Moody backed down.

"Duly noted" Moody grumbled.

Hermione looked up then and took in the facial expressions of everyone else in the room. Molly was in tears and Arthur was still comforting her. The Order members who were part of the Ministry looked as if they were trying to take in all the information they had just been given. Dumbledore looked as if he was about to throw a childish fit. Severus was standing, still looking angrily at everyone in the room. Minerva had her hand upon Hermione's shoulder and Remus looked remorseful and Tonks…

"You knew?" Tonks whispered loudly in the silence of the room.

Every head swivelled towards the young woman and her werewolf partner. Tonks looked absolutely distraught, she had known for ages that something was wrong; she knew that Remus knew something but she was completely unaware that Hermione had gone to Remus and outright told him and asked him for help.

Remus cringed but nodded.

"She told you? She actually told you what was going on and you did nothing, you didn't even consider it? What were you thinking? This is Hermione for Merlin's sake! Has she not proved herself trustworthy? What happened exactly? How long have you known? I want you to tell me now" she demanded.

Remus sighed.

"She told me the day the kids left to go back to school after the summer. I was not sure what to believe so I approached the headmaster and together, we concluded that she was just…attention seeking…and I told Albus that she should be punished for such lies and then I watched as she was stripped of her prefect badge and issued detentions. The whole time her eyes were on me, pleading, begging me to just listen to her. I almost relented but held firm in the end. I regretted nothing until I learned that it was the truth" Remus told everyone honestly.

Tonks stood up, there were tears in her eyes now and she looked disbelievingly down at her lover.

"You've known this whole time and you never said a thing? Even if there was just an inkling of doubt, you just shoved the problem to the side thinking it would go away" she stated.

Remus was looking up at her, into her eyes and he nodded. He was done telling lies, he was done feeling sorry for himself, he needed to do what was right and he was not going to hold back the truth this time.

Tonks immediately slapped Remus hard across the face and promptly stormed out of the room, her hair was so red, that some of the Order members cringed at whoever was to face her next.

"I think we have had enough for today. There will be an official Order meeting at eleven this evening so everyone has the day to digest this new information and so we can discuss further matters later. Unfortunately Miss Granger, as you are underage, we cannot allow you into the meeting tonight although I am sure there will be some mention of this morning's events. However, I can promise that Professor Snape and McGonagall will be permitted to reveal any information to you that we feel is necessary for you to know about your situation. Does this sound fair?" Moody asked her.

Hermione nodded, she just wanted to get out of the room now and go and take a nap. All the Order members filed out of the room, leaving just the Weasley's, Minerva and Severus in the room with her. Molly and Arthur gave her a hug and told her to speak to them should she wish to, they also told her how brave she was and how proud they were of her before they left the room.

"I'm proud of you Hermione and you have nothing to worry about, we will make sure you're alright. However, all this aside, I expect the pair of you to exhibit better control at the breakfast table. Should I ever see your trousers in that state again Severus, I will be casting hexes so that you can never reach that state again. Am I clear?" she praised Hermione but also reprimanded her and Severus' breakfast activities.

Severus blushed bright red, as did Hermione but at least Hermione was able to giggle when Minerva winked at the both of them before leaving the room too.

"Well that was humiliating" Severus said. Then he looked at Hermione.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

She nodded.

"I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders but I am also exhausted. I think I might go and have a few hours' sleep before the others arrive" she told him.

"Let's go, you can sleep whilst I read a book and mark some essays" Severus told her as the two headed up to their bedroom.


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N: Hi guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm so annoyed…I have been trying all day to upload this, stupid internet connection! Anyways, just about managed to get on here to upload this for you in time…let me know what you think! Once again, a massive thank you to all those who have been reading and reviewing, you guys are awesome!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – bad language, potential mentions of sex, sexual assault, violence and suicide.**

**Harry, Ron and an Awkward Conversation**

"Hermione?"

She hummed in response.

"Sweetie?" the deep masculine voice called her again.

She was being pulled away from a fantastic dream and she didn't like it.

"Darling, wake up" Severus murmured in her ear.

Hermione's eyes opened and she took in the room, remembering that she had gone to sleep to get a few hours rest.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked him whilst cuddling into him.

"About four hours, your friends have just arrived" Severus told her.

She yawned and nodded. She knew Harry and Ron would want to talk to her and she relished in the peace for a few moments before they bombarded her with questions and conversations about quidditch.

As she was preparing to get up, heavy footfalls could be heard coming up the stairs.

Hermione groaned, she knew whose footsteps they were.

Severus looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Harry" she answered the unspoken question.

"Just the one?" He asked.

"Yup, Harry has really heavy but quick footfalls whereas Ron's are really sluggish almost like a shuffling sound. It's only Harry coming to intrude" she explained.

A second later there was a hesitant knock at the door. Severus smirked and went to open the door, he would take satisfaction in scaring the crap out of the boy.

Severus answered the door by quickly and violently throwing it open. Harry almost pissed himself on the spot when he saw his potions professor staring down at him.

"Errrrr..." Harry stammered still in shock.

"Articulate as ever" Severus drawled at him.

"I was told this was Hermione's room" Harry said.

Severus said nothing and just stepped aside, allowing the boy enough space to get into the room.

Hermione was just making the bed when Harry walked in.

"Hey" she said casually.

Harry looked back at Severus as if he did not want to talk to Hermione whilst Severus was still hanging around.

"Severus, would you mind giving Harry and I a few moments please? Or we could leave if you'd prefer" she asked her Severus.

"No it's fine, I shall go downstairs and show all the other students that I'm around. It might make them less hassle for me" he told her with a wink.

Hermione giggled and went to hug him before he left.

"Thank you Severus" she said.

She looked up to him and Severus bent his head to give her a kiss on her forehead, almost forgetting Harry was in the room.

Hermione moved so she could sneakily make her lips line up with Severus' rather than her forehead.

Severus automatically cupped either side of her face and gave her a light, quick kiss before remembering that Harry was still in the room.

Severus cleared his throat and left the room, closing the door shut behind him.

Hermione turned towards Harry, who hadn't moved and looked slightly green.

"I don't think that is something I'm ever going to get used to" Harry muttered.

"Shut up, I'm happy" she grinned at him as she gestured for him to sit down.

Harry perched on the end of the bed and then turned to Hermione.

"Is everything alright? We didn't realise you were coming here last night" Harry said.

"Yeah, sorry Harry. I was brought here last night because the Order wanted to speak to me this morning" she said hesitantly.

Harry's eyes widened.

"What? About..." he trailed off.

Hermione nodded.

"They wanted to hear my story" she said.

"How did it go?" Harry asked her gently.

Hermione sighed and conveyed to Harry what had been discussed at the morning meeting. She knew she probably shouldn't be discussing Order business but she had promised to keep Harry informed.

After Hermione had finished telling Harry, he let out a nervous breath.

"Woah, that's some morning" Harry said.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

"I was exhausted, I came up here to nap and have been asleep ever since. I only woke a few moments before you knocked" she said.

Harry's cheeks turned pink.

"Ah...I thought you might have been..." he stopped talking again.

Hermione guessed the end of that sentence. Harry assumed that she had been getting dirty with Severus.

"Nope, we weren't. Even if we had been, would you still be sitting on the bed?" She asked.

Realisation hit Harry like a ton of bricks and he immediately launched up from his perched position on the bed to his feet. He was thoroughly disgusted.

Hermione just laughed at him.

"Just joking Harry, I was really just sleeping. Earlier this morning however..." she trailed off, letting Harry's imagination run away with him.

"Anyways, are you all here now?" She asked him.

Harry nodded.

"Yes, I managed to slip away from all the pleasantries and got Kreacher to tell me which room you were in" he told her.

"I suppose that means I should go and say hello then" she said.

Harry shrugged leaving the decision up to her.

"Come on let's go then" she said.

She knew that she just had to get the afternoon over with. Then she could go to sleep and her and Severus would be gone in the morning.

The two friends headed downstairs and when Hermione stepped inside the main room, the chatter died down slightly. The other Weasley children did not notice the change of atmosphere and continued their idle chatter with the various people in the room.

Molly Weasley was the first to approach Hermione.

"A bit pale dear, I will make you something to eat" Molly said, leaving no room for argument as she left the room.

"Hey Mione" Ron said as he noticed her, he smiled at her and made his way across the room.

"We were worried when we couldn't find you earlier, is everything alright?" He asked her.

She nodded.

"I'm good thanks" she replied.

Ron still remained oblivious to the slightly awkward atmosphere in the room.

"Come on guys, we should unpack for the holiday" Harry said. He needed to talk to his two friends and he wanted to do it in private away from the rest of the Order.

The three of them made it to the library and they sat down on the seats available.

"I knew something was wrong, what's the matter Harry?" Ron asked him.

Hermione was confused, for someone so observant she had clearly missed all signs that indicated something was wrong with her best friend.

"I think Malfoy is a death eater" he stated.

It took everything that Hermione had in her not to gasp.

"What makes you think that? You can't just accuse someone of something as serious as that Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. She hated herself in that moment because she knew she was lying to her friends. But she had no choice; lie to one friend to protect another.

"I had one of those dreams. Voldemort was talking to Draco Malfoy about some task and Malfoy was just stood there with his Dark Mark on display" Harry said.

Hermione was about to speak when thankfully Ron stepped in.

"Mate, we cannot even begin to understand what you're going through with having him inside your head but, do you remember what Dumbledore said? You have to be careful about trying to determine what is real and what isn't" Ron reminded his friend.

Hermione was silent but nodded in agreement.

"I know Ron but, what if he is one? What do we do? There is so much damage he can do" Harry stated.

"I think you're over thinking things Harry. Malfoy would not be able to do anything too damaging, there is such powerful protection in the castle, even more now than ever, he just wouldn't be able to do anything undetected" Hermione said to him.

Harry watched her for a moment, trying to figure out if she knew something or not.

"I just think we all need to be a bit more cautious around him, especially you Mione" Harry said.

Hermione understood what Harry meant. Harry was aware that Draco and she were not the mortal enemies that they had been when they first started Hogwarts and Harry was trying to warn her. Ron however, did not get what Harry had said and took it the comment in the wrong context.

"Harry, I don't think her blood status matters..." Ron trailed off as his two friends looked at him.

Harry looked back at Hermione who silently glared back, daring Harry to speak any more about the issue.

At that moment Molly walked into the room.

"I've made food for everyone" she announced.

Ron was immediately out the door, forgetting about the conversation, he loved his mother's cooking.

Once Ron was gone Harry turned to Hermione.

"Hermione..." he began.

"Don't Harry" she said.

"You don't know Draco that well Harry, just trust me, at the moment you have bigger things to worry about than him" she said hotly.

Harry stood up and looked quite angry.

"You don't know him that well either Hermione. I know you and he have some form of friendship going on but that does not mean that I trust the bloke. Besides, you haven't been watching him like I have. He's even managed to do something to my map! Either that or he's duplicating himself somehow. I just don't think you know him as well as you like to think you do!" He snapped at her.

"How dare you Harry! I admit that I do not know him that well but since the beginning of the school year, I have been his confidant all year. Believe me Harry, you would be surprised about what I know about Draco Malfoy" Hermione shouted back as she headed towards the door to the library.

"Yeah? Well how do you explain the dark magic that he has used on my map? I asked Lupin and he said that if something has caused it to go wrong then it can't be anything good" Harry told her.

"And just what do you think he has done to your map Harry?" Hermione asked.

"He's cursed it! He's used some ancient dark magic on it! I had Lupin look at it and even he couldn't figure what had been done to it. But he suggested not messing around with it further. I'm telling you, Malfoy is a death eater and he has become well acquainted with dark magic" Harry yelled.

Hermione took a deep breath and looked at Harry.

"You're wrong, you've completely got it wrong" she said.

"Well how do you explain his behaviour? He's been acting odd recently" Harry asked her, feeling slightly calmer.

"Ummm...maybe it has something to do with the fact that you are watching his every move. You're not very subtle Harry, I hope you know" Hermione replied.

"God, now you sound like Snape!" He said.

" _Professor_ Snape, Harry and good, I'm glad I sound like him. Perhaps you should keep out of Draco's business and let Severus deal with it" Hermione said.

"But it's not just that Hermione! He keeps going to the room of requirement and I followed him the other night and he came out looking all hazy eyed, he had definitely taken something. I think he had been meeting someone in that room. I don't know who it was but there was a sting, sickly sweet smell coming from him. The only time I've ever smelled something that sweet was when the seventh years had been brewing contraceptive potions" Harry informed her.

That got Hermione listening.

"So what? He's shagging someone! That's not something suspicious" she replied.

"But it is" Harry said without backing up his statement.

Hermione sighed. She knew Harry and his inability to let things go. She was not going to win this battle, now that Harry had a small piece of information he would hold onto it until he knew every little thing about it. She would have to warn Severus, Draco would need someone watching out for him now more than ever.

"Look, I think you should just leave Draco alone for a little while, alright?" Hermione said.

"But Hermione..." Harry began.

"Oh for god sake Harry! It was me alright!" She growled, her patience now gone.

Harry froze for a moment. Didn't Hermione have a thing going on with Snape? How could she possibly think about trying to shag Malfoy.

"What?! You're shagging Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed loudly, unable to keep his thoughts to himself.

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed back shocked, that's not what she had meant.

"You're what?!"

Hermione and Harry both spun round to see Ron staring in shock at Hermione. He had begrudgingly come back, at the request of his mother, to drag them all to the kitchen for something to eat. He surely had misheard that Hermione was shagging Draco-fucking-Malfoy.

Ron immediately started shaking his head in the negative.

"No, no, no! Please tell me you're not Hermione!" He begged her.

Ron took Hermione's shocked silence as confirmation and before she could actually give a verbal answer, Ron fled the room.

Just perfect, now Hermione was going to have to run after him before he opened his mouth to anyone.

"Well done Harry! That's not what I meant!" Hermione said.

"Then what were you talking about?" Harry asked confused.

"Your map you idiot! It was me that placed the spell on it" she admitted as she turned to go after Ron.

"What? You?" Harry asked astounded.

"Yes and I used blood magic to do it" she stated firmly before leaving a gobsmacked and concerned Harry behind.

Harry was now really worried. His best friend was secretly hanging around with a death eater, he was still unsure if she was actually shagging him or not and to make matters worse, she had knowingly and willingly used a form of dark magic, blood magic at that, in order to use one of his own personal belongings against him. Maybe she was spending too much time with Malfoy.

Hermione sighed as she headed back up to her room, she hadn't been able to find Ron anywhere and she had been kicked out the kitchen so the Order could have their meeting.

She, Minerva and Severus had begged to allow her to stay for the meeting but Moody held firm and told her to leave. So, she had been given a massive plate of food by Molly and sent up to her room like a naughty child. Well, if that's the way they were going to treat her, then that was the way she was going to act.

She sulked as she made her way into her room, fully aware that she was behaving childishly. It was unfortunate that she had been put in a bad mood by her two friends. She guessed that Harry and Ron would be in their rooms on the second floor but she wouldn't join them. She would have to walk past Sirius' room; she didn't feel quite ready for that.

She imagined she would probably see an unmade bed and a fairly untidy room. She knew she wouldn't handle that; it would make Sirius too human for her.

She resigned herself to waiting for Severus and she read a book to entertain herself.

Her mind kept going back to her and Harry's heated debate. Harry had been serious when he told her Draco was meeting someone in the room of requirement. Hermione was worried but knew she could wait a couple of weeks to ask Draco about it.

A few hours later, Severus eventually made it up to their room, he looked fairly wound up and before Hermione could say a word, Severus practically sprinted to the bathroom.

Hermione immediately panicked. Had he been hurt? What if the meeting hadn't really gone on for hours but Severus had been summoned? Hermione was trying not to hyperventilate as she tried to patiently and calmly wait for Severus.

It didn't work, she waited anxiously until Severus exited the bathroom a couple of minutes later looking more relaxed than when he had entered to room.

"My god Severus! Are you alright?" She asked him, still worried.

Severus' cheeks flushed but he still managed to chuckle.

"Well, an extra-long meeting and too much pumpkin juice make quite an uncomfortable wait with an over worked bladder." he said sheepishly. He was slightly embarrassed that she had seen him like that. He was known for being so in control, in all areas but even Minerva had been staring at him for the last 45 minutes with an eyebrow raised as he had shuffled about uncomfortably in his seat.

"Oh..." she trailed off as she realised that Severus just really needed to use the loo.

"I really thought something was wrong" she said, feeling relieved herself.

"Something was wrong! I nearly humiliated myself in front of everyone who has ever shown a shred of respect for me" he said.

"Wow...that bad?" She asked him.

He nodded.

"I'm fine now. Which is more than I can say for you; something was wrong when you came in the kitchen for dinner. Are you alright?" He asked her.

She shrugged.

"Harry had one of those dreams where he sees what the Dark Lord is doing" she said.

"Right...and you're worried because..." Severus encouraged.

"The dream showed Harry that Draco had the Dark mark" she said.

Severus' eyes almost bulged out of his head.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed.

"My sentiment exactly" she said dryly.

"I've got to find that twerp and make sure he says nothing. Draco could seriously be in danger if potter opens his mouth with all these Order members walking about" Severus said rushing out the room to find Harry.

Hermione went to follow him but Severus was gone. She sat back in the bed and started playing the waiting game again. Before Severus got back, she was asleep.

Hermione woke with a start and sat bolt upright, scaring Severus out of his sleep beside her.

"Morning love" he said to her.

"Im sorry I fell asleep, I was waiting up for you" she said.

"I know, your body was definitely at an awkward angle when I got back. I put you to bed and then went to sleep myself" he told her.

"And Harry...?" She asked.

"Will be keeping his mouth shut" Severus said.

"How'd you manage that? Harry is stubborn as hell!" She said.

"I've been inside his head, I may have threatened to expose some of his personal life should he decide to try and expose some of Draco's" Severus informed her.

"Slytherin! That ought to do it" she said.

Severus nodded in agreement.

"Are you ready to leave after breakfast or would you like to stay a while longer?" Severus asked her.

"I don't mind leaving after breakfast. But what will everything think? Do we have a cover story?" She asked him.

Severus shook his head.

"They might wonder but they shall never find out" Severus grinned at her.

Hermione couldn't help but grin back.


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N: Once again thank you all for reading and reviewing, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! This is by far my longest and probably my most favourite chapter, I have really enjoyed writing this one. This chapter looks a bit more at Severus' demons so please be warned! Let me know what you think! Thank you**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, places, brand names, people, films or books mentioned in this chapter or anything else that I may have forgotten to mention. Many Thanks.**

 **WARNINGS!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Possible mentions of sexual assault, bad language, suicide and other sexual situations with definite mentions of abuse, child abuse and violence.**

 **Goodbyes, Severus' Home and Nightmares**

After breakfast the next morning, Hermione and Severus prepared to leave, she could not wait to get out of this place and stay with Severus.

However, her friends were proving a little more difficult, they kept questioning her about where she was going, why she was leaving and what had made her change her mind.

"Look guys, I told you, there are still some bits and pieces that I need to sort out in regards to my parent's affairs. Professor McGonagall is my official guardian and has agreed to what I'm going to do. I'm not sure what they have done with my house yet but if it still belongs to my parents, then I shall stay there. If not, other arrangements have been put in place". She informed them.

"Now, can I please pack without a Spanish Inquisition?" She asked.

"The what?" Ron asked confused.

"Never mind" she said as she shook her head and packed up the last of her things.

She knew Severus would be waiting for her downstairs shortly and she was like a nervous bundle of energy. She had a feeling she was going to be staying at Severus' family home. She knew what his childhood had been like there and she knew that he hated the place. She was determined to make sure there were at least some good memories for him there by the time the holidays were over.

"Right, that's about it, I'm ready to go" she said.

The boys and her chattered as they headed downstairs, helping Hermione carry her bags and she entered the main room where Severus was stood waiting for her.

"Are you quite ready to go, Miss Granger?" He asked her in teacher mode as the two boys were with her.

She nodded and moved to stand next to him.

"Hold on, Snape is escorting you from here?" Ron asked rudely without thinking.

"That is Professor, to you Weasley and yes, to answer your question, I am to escort Miss Granger away from here" he said.

"And just where are you taking her? You think I trust you to just take her without telling us where you are taking her to?" He asked, completely forgetting his manners and respect for his teacher.

"How dare you speak that way to me Weasley?!" Severus exclaimed.

"Just leave it Ron, if this is what has been decided then that's fine with me" she said.

"But Mione, I don't trust him" Ron tried to argue.

"Well I do, just let this go. Please." She begged.

He sighed, looking very unhappy with the situation but finally managed to find his silent voice. He huffed in response.

"That will also be twenty points from Gryffindor and two detentions with Filch for your blatant disrespect" Severus snarled at Weasley.

"That's bullshit!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ronald Weasley, how dare you even utter that word, let alone say it to your teacher!" The voice of Molly yelled from the doorway.

Ron's face paled as he turned around to face her, Severus tried to hide his smirk. He loved when Molly Weasley went to town on her children.

Ron was trying to stutter out an adequate response but Molly just glared at her son.

"Enough! I will deal with you later" she said.

Ron didn't look that pleased at that comment, in fact, he looked utterly terrified.

"My apologies for my son Severus, I don't understand where he gets his rude behaviour from" she apologised.

Severus nodded in Thanks.

"Now if that is all, Miss Granger and I shall be on our way" he said.

Molly approached Hermione and hugged her tight.

"You need anything Hermione, anything at all, you can floo me or send an owl to Professor McGonagall as you won't be able to send a letter to me, here directly" she told Hermione.

Hermione nodded and said her thanks.

"Look after her Severus, if one more hair on her head is harmed, it will be your testicles that take the punishment. Am I clear?" She warned Severus.

Severus tried not to show his fear in front of his students but he knew Molly was serious and he'd be living if he said that Molly Weasley didn't scare the crap out of him.

He cleared his throat.

"Understood Madame" he said.

"Bye Mione" Harry said as he hugged her.

He glanced between her and Severus. He didn't know where they were going but he knew that he trusted Hermione's judgement to go off with Severus. Now that Harry was thinking about it, it was probably her idea. Hermione and Severus Snape would be spending the next two weeks, alone together... 

Harry winced and stopped thinking about it, he decided he didn't want to know.

"Bye Harry, bye Molly, bye Ron. Molly, could you tell Arthur I said goodbye?" she asked Molly.

"Of course dear, have a good holiday" Molly replied.

Severus led Hermione out of the house and the two began walking to the apparition point.

"I want to warn you that where we are about to go, is not the most pleasant of places. Living at Hogwarts for most of the year means that my home gets severely neglected and over the years, well, I'm surprised that the building is still standing to be honest. If we get there and you decide you don't want to stay, I will understand and we can go somewhere else" Severus informed her.

She nodded.

The pair reached the apparition point and Severus grabbed hold of Hermione and they disappeared with a crack.

They landed and Severus led the way towards his home.

Hermione took in her surroundings as they walked down a narrow street of terrace houses, most of them had broken windows or had been boarded up. The street looked like the ones that were specifically built for the workers who had worked for the industrial factories during the Victorian era and the industrial revolution. The houses were all small, compact and there were hundreds of them, the narrow road seemed to stretch for miles. The road itself looked really run down and grubby, matching the authentic industrial look. Hermione was fascinated with History and historical events and she found herself rather excited to be experiencing the real thing. She kicked herself for not expecting that Severus would more than likely live in one of these homes, they were in Manchester after all or Cottonopolis as it was known in the 19th century.

Severus eventually stopped in front of one particular house in the middle of the street.

"This is it" he said. He tried not to show it but he was actually very nervous. He had not had anyone enter his home as a guest for over twenty years and he was worried that the state of his home would affect Hermione's opinions of him. He knew he wasn't the easiest person to get along with and he was aware of what his students thought about his appearance after overhearing their conversations. He also knew that his house would be covered in dust and was dark and dreary but he prepared himself, he was ready for her disdain and her rejection of his home. This home was a secret, only Dumbledore knew this address from Severus' schooldays, so Severus never used any magic whilst he was at home to avoid raising any suspicions about their being Wizards living in the area. He also did not want the Dark Lord or any of the other death eaters to find out where he lived, this was his sanctuary, which is ironic as this home used to be his personal hell when he was younger, and he trusted Hermione with this sanctuary.

Hermione noticed that Severus looked more than slightly unsettled and so she moved to stand next to him and grabbed his hand. She gave it a tight squeeze, in what she hoped would be an act of comfort, and Severus smiled briefly at her and they walked to the front door.

Hermione was mildly surprised when Severus took out a front door key, putting it in the lock before turning it and opening the door. She had naively expected him to just open the door with magic like they all did at Grimmauld place.

Noticing her surprised look Severus explained.

"I don't use magic here" he told her.

She nodded, not really understanding why but accepting it all the same.

Severus took a deep breath and they entered the home.

Hermione took in the main room, Severus hadn't been joking when he said that the place had no TLC, in fact the main room reminded her of her third year when she and Harry had first entered the shrieking shack. Hermione did not think that the state of the home reflected on Severus' personal hygiene at all but she was worried that when he did come home, this was what he lived in. She was surprised that he wasn't ill from all the mould or the dust.

Severus was holding his breath and he had his back turned to her so that he was not even look at her. He was waiting for her to start telling him how grim and disgusting she thought the place was and how he was disgusting for even considering living in a place like this.

He was surprised however, when he felt a small pair of arms wrap around his waist from behind and a head lean against his right shoulder blade. He looked behind him and saw his Hermione smiling up at him although her facial expression still showed traces of worry.

"Hermione, I apologise for…" he began, voice full of emotion.

"Shhhh Severus" she said, placing one of her fingers to his lips.

She shook her head, she did not want him to feel that he had to apologise for the state of his home.

Severus watched her for a moment as she removed her finger from his lips and replaced it with her own lips. She kissed him passionately and Severus forgot what he had been worried about as he kissed her back.

She eventually pulled away and placed her hands on each side of his face.

"You have no reason to apologise" she whispered to him.

The two hugged in the middle of the main room for a few moments more before Severus let go of her and closed his eyes to grasp control of his emotions once more.

"Perhaps I should give you a tour and show you to your room" he said.

Hermione grinned up at him as he showed her the small house. There was the main room, the kitchen and a small bathroom downstairs and upstairs was a bigger bathroom, a tiny storage room and three bedrooms. Severus stopped in front of one of the doors and opened it.

"Will you be comfortable here?" he asked her.

The room was an average sized bedroom, it had a double bed and a wardrobe and a chest of drawers. It was homely and perfect and it was actually very clean. There was hardly any dust, no mould and aside from the old worn out carpet, it looked like the room had been recently furnished or at least it was the newest part of the home.

"It's perfect Severus, thank you" she said happily as Severus helped put her bags and belongings on the bed.

He smiled back at her, happy that she liked the room.

He helped her get settled in and the two of them headed back downstairs, it was nearly time for lunch. Severus grimaced as he remembered that he had no food in the house and would have to go shopping.

"Well, shall we have a walk into the town? You can show me the delights of this part of Manchester and we can pick up a few things whilst we are out" she said.

"That is a good idea" Severus agreed.

Hermione excused herself from the room in order to go and grab her handbag with her purse in it and a cardigan to wear outside. It may have been April but there was still a small chill in the air when the sun wasn't out.

She made her way downstairs and almost froze in shock at the sight of Severus as she entered the room. He was dressed in muggle attire and he had tied his hair back to the nape of his neck. Hermione almost groaned on the spot, it was very rare to see Severus with his hair tied back and Hermione had a thing for Severus' neck, she always found that Severus' personal scent was always strongest around his ears and neck, probably because he always wore his hair down. He also looked much younger with his hair tied back.

Severus turned when he heard her enter the room once more and instantly notice the slight blush that had graced her cheeks. He raised an eyebrow in question and she took a shaky breath.

"Wow…you look, wow!" was all she managed to say.

Severus chuckled at her and Hermione snapped back to reality and said she was ready to go if he was. The two left the home and Severus led the way to the town. Hermione stared in awe at the town, it was tiny, Victorian but beautiful and had everything one would need. There was a Tesco, banks, a post office, a pharmacy, health and beauty shops, cafes, small restaurants, takeaways, a pub, clothes shops, charity shops, DIY and home shops, an off-licence and, to Hermione's delight, an old fashioned sweetshop. It was your standard, picturesque village town with all the essentials and Hermione fell in love with it instantly.

Severus noticed Hermione's expression and hid his grin, he was amazed that such a small town, with nothing special about it, could make her so excited. He also noticed Hermione looking longingly at the sweetshop and knew that she had a sweet tooth.

"I take it you will want to visit there?" Severus asked her rhetorically.

Hermione looked at him and smiled as she looked down, she always felt embarrassed that Severus knew about her love for sugar and chocolate. But she nodded in response anyway.

"Well, let's shop in the town first and then we shall do the food shopping last, then we don't have to drag all the bags around whilst we look in the shops" Severus suggested.

Hermione agreed and stopped outside a bank to use the cashpoint machine. She drew out some money that was in her debit account, so that she could do some of her own shopping. They stopped at the health and beauty shop so that Hermione could stock up on toiletries; she had been running low on deodorant and feminine hygiene products and needed to purchase more.

Severus was the most patient shopper ever as he watched and waited for her to choose her items. In Hermione's experience, a normal male would be waiting outside the shop already or gone off to another shop altogether. She tried not to take too long and purchased her items. Severus also picked up a few items himself and the pair then headed for the sweetshop, much to Hermione's joy. She was acting like a kid and Severus found himself laughing at her.

Once inside the sweetshop, Hermione was running around it, picking up almost anything and everything she could get her hands on. She finally made it to the counter and Severus was blown away by how much she had picked up. Those sweets would last her months.

Eventually, they got to the supermarket and began doing the food shopping. Severus picked up things he liked to eat and Hermione also put in bits that she liked. She made sure that Severus was going to be eating proper meals whilst she was around. Whilst she wasn't the best cook in the world, she could make some things and she knew Severus enjoyed a home cooked meal. He had done so much for her, the least she could do was try and return the favour.

They went and paid for the shopping together and Hermione couldn't help but feel how bizarre it was that she and Severus Snape were doing something so ordinary as food shopping. As they had been walking around the shop, Hermione enjoyed how relaxed and comfortable she felt at the ordinary situation.

The two of them carried all their shopping back home and Hermione helped Severus put the shopping away and throw out all the things that were out of date. Afterwards, Hermione and Severus fixed themselves some sandwiches for lunch. They ate and sat down together on the old, torn sofa in the main room and took in the peace and quiet of the place.

"So what did you really think?" Severus asked her.

"I think this home is perfect but because you don't use it often, it makes it seem really run down. But it isn't, these houses were originally built for the industrial workers so they're not meant to be palaces. If anything, this house looks authentic in line with its original purpose and it is half a mile away from the prettiest town I've probably ever been to. For Manchester, I was expecting it to be very urban and loud and busy but this is very rural and countrified and I love it" she said to him.

Severus grinned at her, he was glad that she liked the place and was looking forward to her stay. Hermione was always cheerful and he felt that this was exactly what his house needed, some joy and light touch to the old place.

The two sat chatting for quite some time before Severus remembered something. He told Hermione to stand and follow him. She did as he asked and he led her to another door next to the main room that she hadn't noticed earlier. Severus stepped up into the room and Hermione followed. She gasped as she saw a mini library full of books, mainly classical muggle literature, and a grin graced her lips.

"I thought you might enjoy this room, feel free to read anything you like in here, whenever you want" he told her.

She thanked him as she eyed up a copy of Daphne du Maurier's ' _Rebecca',_ as they left the room.

Hermione's attention soon went to dinner as it was now approaching the early evening.

"What would you like? I will cook" she offered.

Severus looked at her and wanted to say that he didn't expect her to lift a finger whilst she was here but as he was not the best cook in the world, despite his potion skills, he felt he should probably let her take the reins for that.

"I'll help" he replied.

The two of them moved to the kitchen and prepared dinner together. Hermione decided to cook some chicken, potatoes and vegetables for dinner and soon enough, Hermione and Severus had produced a delicious meal and they sat down at the small kitchen table to eat.

After a delicious meal, Hermione and Severus washed up and put everything away before Hermione asked if she could use the shower. Severus showed her how to use the shower as it could be temperamental and left her to it.

When she was all cleaned up and dressed in her pyjamas, she went downstairs and found Severus sat in front of the old television that was in the room.

"Would you like to watch a film? I don't have much choice but you may pick something from what I have" he said to her.

She went to the modest collection of videos that Severus had and picked one out. She was overjoyed to see that Severus had Jim Henson's ' _Labyrinth'_ on video and she grabbed it and handed it to Severus. He chuckled at her choice.

"It's ironic that this is a fantasy film according to the muggle world, yet we know that Goblin's, odd creatures and absurdly large mazes actually exist" he said.

Hermione laughed.

"Exactly! This was one of my favourite films as a child but I never believed for a second that any of it existed until I started Hogwarts" she agreed.

Severus started the film and the two of them snuggled up together on the sofa and watched it. Towards the end of the film, Hermione felt herself falling asleep and Severus nudged her awake.

"I think it's time we went to bed" he said.

Hermione yawned and nodded in agreement, the excitement of the day had really worn her out. Severus turned off all the electrics and lights downstairs and checked the kitchen to make sure everything was turned off and then he and Hermione turned and headed upstairs.

"If you need me I will be in the room opposite" he told her.

Hermione was slightly upset that Severus would not be staying in the same room with her but she understood and appreciated that this was his home and he was probably a little bit out of his comfort zone with having someone else invading his sanctuary so she stood on her tiptoes and gave him a light kiss on the lips.

"Thank you Severus, goodnight" she said to him as she hugged him goodnight.

"Goodnight love, I will see you in the morning" he replied.

Hermione then entered her room and waved at Severus as he watched her close the bedroom door. Once Hermione had closed her bedroom door, Severus turned to his bedroom door and went inside. It had been a while since he had been in his own room but he got ready for bed and settled down to sleep.

Hermione found her bed quite comfortable and she fell asleep quickly after getting into bed. She felt that she had not been asleep long when she was startled awake. Hermione's heart was racing, as if she'd had a nightmare that she couldn't quite remember, she could even still hear the screaming in the back of her mind.

As she came out of her sleepy state, she realised that she was not imagining the screaming, the screams were real. She immediately jumped into action and threw her bedroom door open. The screaming was coming from the room opposite and, without hesitation, she ran into Severus' room and turned on the light.

She immediately noticed that Severus was not hurt but he was definitely in the midst of a nightmare. She tried to shake him awake, his screams were truly terrifying, but he was not an easy man to wake in this state.

She got into his small bed and cuddled up to him and stroked the side of his head, eventually Severus settled enough to stop screaming and Hermione was able to slowly waken him. He was covered in sweat and he was pale and he was worrying her.

When he opened his eyes, it took him a moment but he then turned to meet her eyes, slightly surprised that she was there.

"Are you alright Severus? I think you were having a nightmare" she asked him gently.

He sighed and sat up, he then got out of the bed, he couldn't be there anymore, it was making him feel really constricted.

"I'm sorry Hermione" he whispered back once he had stood up.

Hermione looked at him confused and then looked around the room whilst he had a moment to grasp reality again. She noticed that the room was really old looking, the once black sheets looked grey from how old they were and the room was thick with dust.

Severus noticed her taking in the room and knew that she would connect the dots any second, so he decided to just tell her anyway.

"This is my room…" he began but hesitated as he wasn't sure how to continue.

"But, it's also not your room" Hermione finished for him.

Severus nodded.

"This is your childhood room but the room you normally stay in is the guest room I am in which is why this room looks like it hasn't been used in years and the guest room looks practically brand new" she said.

Severus looked ashamedly at the floor but nodded.

"Severus, why didn't you just stay in your normal room?" she asked.

"I didn't want you to stay in any other room than the one that you're in. You know that my childhood was less than desirable. This was my childhood room and it holds some of my darkest memories. My father would….." he broke off and shook his head; he didn't even want to think about the violence and the abuse he had received from his drunken father. The amount of nights he had spent awake, terrified and waiting for when his father would burst into his room.

He had snapshots whirling around his head of every lash of his father's belt that he would receive across his backside for doing the smallest thing wrong. Every time he had pissed his bedsheets in sheer fear from his nightmares and from the smell of his father's alcoholic breath and then getting hit for wetting his bed.

Severus snapped out of it, he was beginning to feel sick.

"I haven't slept in this room since I was seventeen. My parents were dead by then and I had no job and no money so, I had to keep this place just to have a roof over my head. All I've ever really wanted was to burn this place to the ground. Instead, I decided to just move rooms. The room you're in had always been used as a guest room or storage room, no-one had ever actually slept in their before so, I cleaned it all out and made it my own room. I then closed this bedroom door and I haven't opened it since, the other room was obviously my parent's. I didn't want you staying in those rooms because of the darkness they hold so, I put you in mine" he told her.

"Oh Severus, why didn't you say? I would never have taken your room had I known" she said gently.

"You wouldn't have had anywhere decent to sleep and I was not going to force you into sharing a bed with me, I wanted you to have the choice" Severus said.

"Oh, you beautiful man!" Hermione exclaimed.

Severus' head snapped up and he looked at her, her eyes were welling up with tears. She hated the thought that her Severus had truly suffered as a child and that he would suffer from his nightmares again just to make her comfortable.

"Did it occur to you that maybe I would've really enjoyed your company in bed?" she asked him.

Severus was shocked.

"Well….I, I guess I didn't think that… After you saw the state of this place I assumed you would think…." He gave up on trying getting out a coherent sentence.

"You thought that after I saw the house that I wouldn't want to share a bed with someone who was willing to sleep in a place such as this?" she asked rhetorically.

Severus nodded.

"That's ridiculous, I mean bless you for being so sweet and thinking about it like that but you're wrong, I would never think of you like that and if I'm honest I was under the impression that we would be sharing a room" she grinned at him as she approached him and slowly put her arms around him.

"Really?" he gasped as he tried to hide his tears.

"Yes Severus, if you're comfortable with it of course" she said as she reached her hand up and swiped away his tears.

Severus sniffed and nodded in agreement.

"Right then, are you ready to go to bed?" she asked.

He nodded.

She led him out of his childhood bedroom as she turned the light off and closed the door. She and Severus then made their way to the guest room, Severus' room, and the two of them climbed into bed.

Hermione held onto Severus tightly that night and Severus held onto her just as tight. Severus was worried that if he let go, then all of this would disappear and that would be his new worst nightmare.

"Goodnight my Severus" Hermione whispered, lightly kissing his cheek as he drifted off to sleep.


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N: Once again, a massive thank you to you all! Just to let you know that there are only a few chapters left for this story before it will be complete – six at the maximum. I have written the ending and I am really quite pleased with how it ends, so I am excited for that. Thank you all for the reviews and comments and for anyone who just reads this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter, many thanks!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Potential mentions of sexual assault and violence. There may be bad language and other sexual situations in this chapter**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the songs, artists, brand names, characters, places or anything else I have missed out.**

 **The Holiday, Shenanigans and Back to School Surprises**

Hermione woke up happily next to her Severus, as she had done for the past week. Hermione and Severus had done so much during the first half of their holiday.

Severus had taken her to central Manchester and she had loved it. It was so muggle and she had really missed muggle life. She and Severus had gone to a pub and because of a football match, it had been packed, full of cigarette smoke, everyone was drunk and swearing at the stupidity of the referee. It was such a loud and busy atmosphere and Hermione spent the whole night laughing as Severus kept flicking Twiglets at her. Then outside there were people who had drink far too much and they were throwing up on the side of the road.

"I never thought someone could look so happy at someone vomiting" Severus had commented.

"It's just good to be back in the muggle world, a football match on a tiny TV in the corner of a crammed pub, it's just so normal and reminds me of home" she had replied.

Severus smiled at her enthusiasm; she was just taking everything in. Severus chose the route home that would take them past Old Trafford. As Hermione's dad had been a strong supporter of Manchester United, so Hermione had spent many Sunday afternoons watching matches but to see the stadium standing in all her glory, made her nostalgic and she had felt her breath catch in her throat.

Severus had also managed to get her tickets for small concert. Hermione thought it would be tickets for a classical concert or something refined. She knew Severus was that kind of gentleman but he thoroughly surprised her when he showed her who he was taking her to see. Severus had heard Hermione singing many songs in the shower and had found out what musicians and music style she enjoyed. He then looked at the upcoming shows that were happening in Manchester whilst she was staying with him and he was extremely pleased with himself as he was sure Hermione would enjoy what he had chosen.

Hermione had screamed when she found out that he was taking her to see Alanis Morrisette at Manchester's Apollo Theatre. Hermione had been excited, she loved Morrisette's music and it was pure coincidence that she was performing in Manchester the same time she was staying with Severus.

'Isn't that Ironic?' Hermione had thought to herself at the time, grinning at the cheesy pun.

They had gone to the picture house and Hermione had made him watch James and the Giant Peach, much to Severus' amusement. Other than that, they had been visiting the village and even gone out to dinner a couple of times in the nice restaurants. However, Hermione often opted for fish and chips, she enjoyed some of the luxuries that the world had to offer such as fine dining and theatres but she did enjoy just a cheap chippy meal and sitting and eating it on a park bench or in front of some trashy telly programme. However, she was still very thankful to Severus that he had been treating her to some lovely evenings out. She felt thoroughly spoilt.

However, today was Sunday, both Hermione and Severus hated Sunday's, Sundays were boring. However, Hermione had a couple of plans; she had recently purchased a few lingerie luxuries that she had seen in some of the clothes shops in Manchester. She remembered how she was looking at these items and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Severus' eyes glaze over with lust on a handful of particular items. She had purchased some of them whilst Severus wasn't looking. She was very thankful for all Severus had treated her to this holiday and now it was her turn to return that treat.

She picked out her favourite item and prepared herself to seduce Severus. She made sure that the Slytherin green item sat perfectly around her body and also made sure the see-through material highlighted the fact that she was going to forego underwear. Hermione was always slightly nervous when she was dressing up nicely for Severus because she had never been the beautiful sort and she had never been stick thin. She was curvy and she was happy with her figure, she was just always worried what other people thought of her. Severus knew that Hermione was still a bit nervous when it came to showing her body so he always made sure to take his time and worship her. It made her feel better and Severus loved it because the slower he went, the more teasing it was for Hermione.

Severus was downstairs, he had just finished reading the newspaper and was just washing up his coffee mug when he felt two arms wrap around his waist. He chuckled at her; he loved it when she pressed her body up against his, he always found it comforting.

Hermione stood up on tiptoes and sighed huskily in his ear. Severus gulped. She knew that turned him on.

She had purchased a nice sexy number a little while ago and was more than ready to try it out. It was a nice, Slytherin green and black lace, see through negligee and Hermione knew that he would be able to see that she wasn't wearing anything else underneath it.

She hopped up onto the kitchen side next to the sink and waited for Severus to notice her. She knew the second that he did, if the sound of the cup shattering in the sink was anything to judge by.

She grinned at him and the washing up was forgotten. Severus grabbed hold of her and lifted her up so her legs wrapped around his waist.

They began snogging senseless and Severus' erection was screaming for release already. After having spent a week lying next to her in bed and having not much physical contact, was really wearing down his self-control.

Severus carried her into the living room and placed her down on the sofa. She grinned up at him as he climbed on top of her.

Hermione stripped the man naked and switched positions with him so that she was on top. Severus groaned. He loved Hermione being on top.

He watched her work her hands down his body and finally wrap around where he needed attention the most.

His head flung back and his eyes closed in pleasure as he hissed blissfully at her ministrations. She pumped his shaft and he had to stop her when he was about to find release.

"I still need that" he said, his voice thick with lust.

She looked at him and resumed snogging, pressing her body fully against his.

Severus could feel all of her and he could feel how ready she was for him. He gripped her thighs and dragged them further up his body, pulling them apart so he had better access to her.

Hermione knew what he was doing and shifted to make things easier. She lifted her hips and sunk down slowly on Severus' length.

Severus felt as though he were being tortured. She was taking her time when all he wanted was to thrust and be inside her.

Once he was in the two quickly found the rhythm and speed that they both enjoyed.

All too soon, they had reached their climaxes and had flopped to the sofa in a tangle of limbs and sweat.

"Well that was rather unexpected but thoroughly enjoyed" Severus said.

Hermione chuckled.

"It was all part of the plan" she giggled back.

"Seducing me Miss Granger? My, my, I may have to punish you for that" he said jokingly.

"Mmmm, I'd expect nothing less sir, I look forward to my punishment" she said.

Severus froze.

"Another kink of yours I take it?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded, blushing quite a bit.

"Tell me Miss Granger, how many times have you imagined me bending you over a school desk and having my way with you?" He asked her whilst teasing her nipples.

Hermione groaned loudly.

"Too many times sir! Not over a school desk though, only your desk" she tried to get the sentence out coherently.

Severus froze for a second in shock.

"My, my, aren't we full of surprises" he chucked, still teasing a nipple as his other hand travelled lower and found that little nub full of pleasure.

"With my hands and legs spread apart and tied down" she let slip her fantasy.

Severus paused in what he was doing and looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Really?" He asked genuinely unsure if she was joking or not.

"I wasn't meant to let that slip but SOMEONE was distracting me" she said and took a breath.

"But yes, I do think it might be something I'm would be interested in trying out" she confirmed.

"Well my dear, that can be arranged" he said.

"Really?" She asked.

Severus nodded.

"What? Now?" She asked.

"No, not now, you would be expecting it. But I swear I will have you over my desk one day and you won't see it coming" he said.

Hermione shivered at how erotic that sounded.

"Are you absolutely sure though?" Severus asked.

"At the moment, yes, but because I've never tried anything like that I don't really know..." she said truly unsure how to answer his question.

"Alright, but when it happens, no matter what I might say during the role playing, I want you to tell me the second you become uncomfortable with the whole thing and I will stop. It should be done for pleasure, not to scare you" he said to her.

Hermione nodded.

"I'm being serious Hermione, I want you to promise me that if I take it too far, you will tell me to stop" he told her.

"I promise Severus" she whispered to him.

"Good" he stated.

Hermione reached up once more to capture his lips. They spent the rest of the day focused on exploring each other.

Monday was different, it was just after lunch time when Severus felt the familiar burning on his arm. He told Hermione that he would be back soon, kissed her cheek and sprinted for the apparition point.

That had been over twelve hours ago and it was now the early hours of Tuesday morning. Hermione had chewed off all of her nails. She knew she should be asleep but her nerves kept her awake. She couldn't rest until she knew Severus was alright.

She remained awake until after dawn and just after eight, Severus came through the front door.

Hermione took a moment to hide him, assess him for any damages. He removed his coat and Hermione could see that there were bloodstains all over his shirt.

She gasped.

"Not my blood" Severus murmured quietly.

"Oh Severus" she breathed quietly.

Severus had taken some curses tonight after not providing any useful information. But the damage was minimal. He would need a few potions, some pain relief and a nice long sleep.

Severus was more worried about Draco. Draco had been told by the Dark Lord that he had to harm someone close to Harry by the end of June or he would suffer.

Draco had been positively pale at the thought and had tried to stop himself from passing out in front of all his brothers.

Severus knew that there was not much he could do for the boy and Draco would have to deliver one way or another.

On his way back for the meeting, Severus had sent an owl to Dumbledore. Telling him to call an Order meeting that afternoon, the Dark Lord was planning more attacks and break outs from Azkaban and Severus had information on where, when and who this time.

"Severus you need to rest" Hermione muttered sleepily.

"I know but I have told Albus to call an Order meeting this afternoon. I must go to that first. Also, you can talk, you clearly haven't had any sleep either" he said.

"I was too worried, I wouldn't have slept if I had tried. However, you need sleep and I do too. I will set an alarm clock for lunch time so we can have a few hours of sleep. I will make sure you won't miss the meeting" she told him firmly.

He wanted to disagree but he was exhausted and he also knew that if he didn't sleep then she wouldn't either. She was just stubborn like that.

He agreed and the two headed upstairs. Hermione found the necessary potions for Severus and gave them to him. Then she gave him some pain relief and the two of them fell asleep.

It seemed like the alarm clock rang only seconds after they had closed their eyes but alas, it was just after twelve and Severus got up to get ready to head for Grimmauld Place.

"Would you like to come?" He asked her.

She thought for a moment and was about to agree but decided she was not ready to walk into a house full of people bustling about the place.

"No thank you, I will prepare something nice to eat for when you get back" she said.

"I don't know what time I will be back" he said as he kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry, I won't cook anything until you're home but preparing a meal will give me something to do while you're gone" she said.

"Alright love, I will see you later" he said as they said their goodbyes.

Severus left once more and Hermione was alone again.

She prepared the meal quicker than she thought she would and found herself sat on the sofa with nothing to do.

She then decided she needed to do something else, she couldn't just sit there, it would annoy her. She couldn't find the right mind-set for reading either.

She finally thought of something but then shook it off. It might seem rude. She then decided to do it anyway. She needed to do something.

She went to the kitchen and grabbed the cleaning supplies from under the sink. She decided to start dusting the living room, as Severus and her had spent the last week living in it all, she could see that the dust had thinned somewhat but she didn't mind cleaning, she found it relaxed her. So she began to clean.

By late afternoon she was done. The living room, kitchen, bathrooms and the bedroom she and Severus shared, looked immaculate.

Severus arrived home shortly after and froze upon entering.

"Bloody hell you've cleaned?!" He exclaimed.

Hermione ducked her head.

"I'm sorry, I needed something to do and cleaning relaxes me" she told him sheepishly, hoping she hadn't overstepped a line.

"I'm not angry with you, I'm just surprised. I didn't expect a guest to clean my home when she is supposed to be taking a break" Severus said to her as he kissed her lips.

"I wanted to, I enjoy cleaning. However, now you're back, I can cook a delicious meal for the both of us. I'm starving" she told him.

"Yes dear" he said rolling his eyes.

"Watch if you" she mocked and gently slapped his arse as she made her way to the kitchen.

"How was the meeting?" She asked.

"It was fine, I just needed to relay to the man almighty what had been said at the Dark Lords meeting. Apparently he's planning more attacks and prison breaks" Severus said.

"Oh gods" Hermione said. The world was slowly getting darker, they really were on the brink of war.

The two cooked together, ate and tided away. Both were still exhausted from lack of sleep and decided to have an early night. They only had until Saturday morning before she and Severus would have to get back to school before the students arrived back on Saturday evening.

Friday was spent having one last look around the town, Hermione wasn't sure when they would be coming back and she knew she was going to miss it all. She and Severus then spent the afternoon listening to some of Severus' favourite muggle music and he danced with her in the lounge. It was romantic and a beautiful way to end their holiday together. They had amazing sex one last time that night, they didn't know when the next chance they'd be together would be.

After Hermione went back to classes it would soon be May and she would be entering the exam period. She would be revising and studying like mad when she returned.

Saturday morning and Hermione shed a tear, she really was going to miss this place. It had truly felt like home, the one place she wanted to always be, despite its prison like appearance. Severus secured the house, locked the door and the two of them headed for the apparition point and back to Hogwarts.

Hermione had barely time to put her belongings away and settle back in at school before the boys bounded into the common room.

"Hermione, oh my god! How are you?" Harry asked as the three of them hugged.

"You won't believe what's happened!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione then noticed that the boys looked a bit nervous.

"Try me" she said as she prepared herself. Severus had told her that the Dark Lord was planning attacks.

"There's been another break out at Azkaban, it happened this morning" Harry told her.

Hermione gasped although she had guessed it be something like this.

"Well we knew that he was planning to get all his death eaters out of prison" Hermione said.

"But that's not all" Ron said solemnly.

"What? What's happened?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"One of the death eaters was in a cell next to him and..." Ron was cut off by Hermione.

"Who was in the cell next to the death eater?" Hermione asked trying to make sense of the non-existent articulate tongue that both boys shared.

"Sirius. It's Sirius, Hermione. He's escaped again" Harry said worriedly.


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N: I'm starting off on a sadder note today, I just wanted to say a little something about the devastation that occurred in Manchester on Monday night, my heart goes out to all of those innocent victims who were injured and suffered much worse in the attack. It is sickening that it has got to the point that someone felt that it was young people, enjoying a concert, who were to be targeted. It was a pathetic attack that accomplished nothing and has done nothing to deter us Brits from having that 'stiff upper lip' stance and we will carry on going about our business unafraid, unthreatened and undefeated by such a cowardly act. Today, I am thinking of all the families and loved ones of victims and those who have been cruelly taken from the world and today, I pray for Manchester.**

 **A/N: Once again, thank you all for your responses! This is where things get interesting, I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy it too. I think there are only two chapters (after this one) left to post, I have finished writing this story and I am satisfied with these last couple of chapters. I will post the chapters as I have all the way through this story (every six days). Many thanks!**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Potential mentions of sexual assault and other sexual situations. Definite bad language, violence and mentions of blood.**

 **Exams, Visions and Confrontations at the Ministry**

As it turns out, Sirius Black had managed to escape and Moody had been furious and demanded Dumbledore to tell him where Black was hiding but Dumbledore played idle and claimed that he did not know where he was. Headquarters had been searched and he was nowhere to be seen. The boys, Draco and Severus were now more protective of Hermione than ever they had no idea where Black was or what he had planned to do and this worried them all

Hoowever, during the last few weeks since Sirius' prison escape, Hermione decided not to spend too much time worrying about it, after the whole incident at the ministry, Hermione felt that she was not really bothered by Sirius and wouldn't worry unless he showed up. To be honest, it didn't surprise her, in fact she was more than certain that Dumbledore hadn't done anything to prevent this mass breakout, despite knowing when it was going to take place, he hadn't stepped in because he knew there was a chance Sirius could get free.

It frustrated her but unfortunately, without knowing where Dumbledore was and without knowing when she was going to see him again, she didn't worry about it. Besides, they now were in the middle of taking their exams and Hermione had decided to focus on her OWLs instead. She couldn't risk botching them up, despite how many times she had been told that she could probably sit her NEWTs and still pass with flying colours.

"This is painful" Ron moaned as they walked out of one of their exams.

Hermione rolled her eyes, it wasn't too bad, not if you studied for it.

Harry didn't seem to agree with Ron either, he had a megalomaniac and most evil wizard of all time after him and he still made sure he had studied for his exams.

Exams were quickly coming to an end and Hermione hated to admit that she was a little relieved.

However, her last exam would be anything but ordinary. The three of them were sat along with the rest of their year whilst Umbridge oversaw the exam. She was sat merrily in Dumbledore golden throne chair at the front of the great hall and was basking in the peace and quiet.

Harry had been feeling rather odd all day, not ill, but he felt like doom was on its way.

In the middle of the exam there was a thudding from outside the great hall. Everyone was broken from their concentration, even Umbridge looked perplexed. She began making her way towards the entrance of the great hall and looked out into the corridors.

There was nothing out there, not a person, nothing moving yet, the thudding sounded as if it was getting closer and closer.

Without warning, two broomsticks flew through the air above her head and into the great hall. Lighting fireworks all the way.

The two boys on the broomsticks began causing havoc. Pieces of paper were flying everywhere, there were desks and chairs being knocked over and the whole great hall looked like a Fourth of July display. It was an amazing thing to watch.

'They're getting expelled for that' Hermione thought as she shook her head. But she joined in with the rest of her classmates anyway. If she was being honest, she was finding the exam paper a little difficult. At least this way they would all have to be given another.

The Weasley twins suddenly set off a massive firework that transformed into the style of a Chinese dragon and it turned its attention on the unwanted headmistress and chased her through the great hall.

All things pink was trying hard to pump her stumpy legs in a bid to outrun the creature. She was simpering and screaming all the way.

Just as she made it out the great hall, the creature made a move as if to grab her with its teeth. She instinctively ducked as the creature burst into a mass firework display of its own and simultaneously destroyed all of those rules that she had Filch hang up on the walls over the school year.

Most of the school had heard what was going on and had now joined the Weasley twins outside, shouting and cheering them on.

Harry had been cheering along with everyone else when suddenly he was forced to the ground. Before he could try and block him out, Voldemort was in his head.

Harry Could make out that room again, the one where Mr Weasley was only this time, it was Remus Lupin who was being tortured.

"Only Potter can save you now" Voldemort's voice hissed at Remus.

Remus was screaming, Harry could hear bones and joints being stretched and snapping. Harry wanted to be sick.

"But he won't come, he doesn't care about you. Who would give a damn about a horrific beast like you?" Voldemort sniggered evilly as the torture continued.

Hermione had noticed Harry's distress and had bent down next to him, trying to regain his attention.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice was slowly pulling him out of the vision.

He snapped back to reality and knew exactly where Voldemort was keeping Lupin. He had seen that same corridor, the very door to that room, almost a year ago. He needed to go to the Department of Mysteries.

"He's got Lupin at the Ministry" he got out before taking off in the direction of Umbridge's room. He knew she had an active floo chamber that was connected to the Ministry. He needed to get there.

Hermione had grabbed Ron and they were following close behind Harry.

"Mione, what's going on?" Ron asked.

Hermione explained what she knew as the two ran to catch up with Harry.

The two managed to get to the defence room and Hermione locked and warded the classroom door. It would by them time if all things pink decided to come back to her office.

As Hermione and Ron made their way across the classroom there was banging from the door. They looked at each other panicked.

"What the devil is going on?" the voice of Umbridge could be heard.

"Those damn kids, Snape! Can you get my classroom door open?" She could be heard asking.

Hermione and Ron panicked, knowing that Snape would have to do as Umbridge asked and Hermione dragged Ron's arm and they headed for the toads office.

Hermione flung the door open just in time to see Harry dropping floo powder into the fireplace and calling out the Ministry of Magic and disappearing.

"Quick Ron, go! Wait for me the other side, I won't know the way otherwise" She said.

She watched as Ron went first, she was hoping that Severus would see her and know where they were going before she had to follow the boys.

She had left obvious wards on the defence classroom so Severus would immediate recognise her magic. She was hoping that he would be intrigued enough to venture further in after her.

She could hear his voice drone though the empty room.

"Allow me Madame, we do not know who is in here. Let me go first, just in case" Severus told Umbridge.

Umbridge agreed and waited by the classroom door as Severus headed for her office. Hermione saw Severus enter the office and he froze when he saw her alone in the fireplace.

"Anything there Snape?" She could hear Umbridge's voice getting closer. She was running out of time.

She quickly spoke, hoping Severus would understand her.

"Harry vision, Department of Mysteries, Lupin tortured" she said quickly.

Then she added:

"Ministry of Magic" as she dropped the floo powder and disappeared in flames before Severus could stop her.

Severus was now in panic mode. He quickly cast a freshening charm about the hag's office so she wouldn't know that her floo chamber had recently been used.

"Well Snape?" She questioned as she entered her office.

"Nothing here Madame, looks like it was a prank but at least you know you are quite safe in here now" he said.

"Thank you" she said.

"I must be getting back to patrol now, it seems the students have been calmed somewhat by all the excitement" Severus said.

"Quite, I have a couple of expulsions to draft out right now, so if you wouldn't mind Snape..." she said, wanting to do nothing more now than getting those Weasley twins out of the school for what they had done to her.

He nodded and left and as soon as he was away from the classroom, he practically ran for his rooms.

On his way down he almost ran into Draco.

"Er...sir?" Draco asked, he had never seen his godfather quite so rattled.

"Not now, Potter and his friends are doing something stupid" Severus said as he hurried on.

"Hermione?" Draco shouted after him.

"If she survives this I'm going to fucking kill her" was Severus' reply.

"Well shit Granger, you're in for it now" Draco muttered to himself as he ran after his godfather.

When he reached the portrait to Severus' rooms, he found that he had been denied access to them. It was at that moment he realised just how serious the situation was and so he opted to wait in the man's office instead.

Severus was using his floo to call Grimmauld Place. Unsurprisingly Sirius was the one to respond. He had clearly managed to dodge Moody's search.

"So this is where you're cowering Black? How surprising!" He said sarcastically, he couldn't help but make the snide remark.

Black was indignant and about to respond when Severus cut him off.

"Shut up Black, this is serious. Tell me, how many Order members are with you right now?" He asked urgently. He knew Minerva would definitely be there as that is where she had been recovering after Umbridge threw her down the stairs the other week. She had needed Molly's assistance but was much better now.

Sirius picked up on his rival's severe tone and decided to answer questions instead of play childish games.

"There is myself, much to everyone's disapproval, Lupin, Tonks, Arthur, Molly, Minerva and Dumbledore" he replied. The others having heard their names mentioned joined Sirius at the floo.

"Listen, contact all the Order members you can, you all need to get to the Ministry now. Department of Mysteries. Potter had a vision that Lupin was being tortured and has taken the vision as truth. He and his two friends, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger, have accompanied him. But he is danger. If he's seen a vision he won't know whether the Dark Lord has accidentally showed him the vision or done it on purpose to trap him. As Lupin is with you now, we can assume that the vision was shown to Potter purposefully. Now quit asking questions and go you idiots" Severus yelled into the floo as he cancelled the call.

Severus immediately jumped into the floo and headed for the Ministry. He knew the Order would meet him there.

All the Order members at Grimmauld, aside from Minerva, sprang into action. Within a minute they were gone and heading for the Ministry.

Meanwhile Hermione and Ron had successfully caught up with Harry without any inconvenience.

"Harry stop, just think, what you saw can't be real" Hermione tried to say logically.

"Yeah? How do you know?" He sneered back at her.

Hermione was taken aback.

"Look Harry, this is a trap, we need to go back" she said.

"Shut up! Remus is family, if there is even the possibility that he might be in danger, in going to help him" Harry said.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue but Harry stopped her.

"Look Hermione, I'm not arguing, I understand that you don't get it. Your parents are dead; you have no family and nothing to lose anymore. I'm not leaving Remus" Harry growled at her.

Hermione's heart sank; Harry may as well have slapped her.

"Harry, mate-" Ron began, intending to defend Hermione.

"Don't Ron, he's too arrogant and pig-headed to listen, however because of his stupidity, someone is now probably going to die and he will have no one to blame but himself. There is no torture of Remus, Harry, why can't you see that? He was only showing you what he wanted you to see. Did the occlumency lessons really teach you nothing?" Hermione growled.

Harry glared at her.

"Now you sound like Snape. You've been spending too much time with him buried inside you and your head between his legs that he's brainwashed you and turned you into his whore" Harry said and without warning, he slapped her across the face as his temper snapped.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed as he reached out to grab Hermione as she was thrown off balance and staggered, trying to stop herself from falling.

Once upright, Hermione lost it, she returned the gesture and slapped Harry across the face and hard, knowing it was worse than when she had given Draco 'what for' in third year. He would have a nasty bruise there, perhaps even a cut, if he survived the night.

Ron just gawked at the two of them.

"What?" Ron asked. He had never seen his two friends like this before. Besides, in his right frame of mind, Harry would never have linked Hermione with Snape. Ron felt sick at the idea.

"Well fuck you Hermione! I've successfully broken us into the Ministry, I'm fucking doing this whether you two are with me or not" Harry said.

"You haven't broken us into the Ministry Harry" Hermione stated.

"How did you deduct that ivory princess?" He said maliciously.

"This is one of the most secure places in the entire wizarding world Harry. Three fifth year students just happen to bypass all that and blunder in without meeting resistance or being caught? You're right Harry, we have been successful, in fact, it may as well have been a fucking walk in the park!" She stated.

"Your point? Maybe I'm just a good wizard" He replied dryly, his arrogance shining through.

Hermione chuckled dangerously, it was so dark that it caught both Ron and Harry's full attention.

"Oh Harry you are foolish. My point is that, don't you think this whole thing has been a little too easy?" She said darkly.

Ron gulped at her tone and even Harry backtracked a little.

"Do you see what I'm saying now?" She said quietly, dangerously.

Harry and Ron had gone pale. Harry had begun to sweat as his mind cleared a little. What had he been thinking?

"We need to get out, now. We need to get the Order" she said as she turned around to head towards the floo chamber.

However, as she turned, she could see movement in the distance. Whatever it was, it was far away, down the other end of the long corridor they had run down just moments before. She could barely make it out but it was moving towards them.

Then she noticed the black pointed hats that reminded her of those pictures you saw in muggle history books of the Ku Klux Klan. Her heart stopped and her eyes widened. She turned back to the boys.

"Run, death eaters" she said as led the boys away from the death eaters but towards the room Harry had been heading for. She wasn't sure at his point which was a worse choice.

Severus arrived at the Ministry at the same time as the Order members - including Moody, Shacklebolt and some others.

"Surprised you're here Snape, thought I'd be seeing you kiss your masters arse" Sirius snarled when Severus approached the group.

Severus was about to reply when he felt the familiar burning in his forearm.

Severus hissed and everyone stared at him.

"Stick around and you might" he replied.

Severus looked at Moody and Dumbledore.

"There are death eaters here now" he warned them before he waved his wand and dressed himself in his death eater robes.

"Good luck" he told the Order before he took off in a shroud of black smoke.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had reached the door and had gone through it. Locking it behind them. It wouldn't by them much time though, the death eaters would get through that door soon enough.

Hermione took in the room. It looked as though the room was full of prophecy balls.

"This way" Harry said as he started heading for the row that he had seen in his vision.

He started counting out loud and Hermione and Ron followed, they were confused as to what Harry was actually doing. Ron though he was completely mental.

Harry finally stopped.

"He should be here" Harry said.

"He should be here!" Harry yelled again.

"But he's not, congratulations Harry. Finally seeing reality are we?" She snapped at him.

"Will you two shut up and come here!" Ron shouted at them.

The two of them turned to Ron and headed over to where he was.

"Harry, this has your name on it" Ron said.

Harry looked at the prophecy ball and picked it up. Then the prophecy started playing.

Hermione and Ron just stared at Harry as he stared at a ball. There was silence, was Harry being possessed by a ball?

A bang rang through the silent room and Hermione and Ron could see all the way back to the door. It was now open and shapes were moving through it. The death eaters were in.

It looked like Harry was coming out of whatever it was he was doing and Ron and Hermione grabbed him and told him to run.

The three ran, trying not to get caught by the death eaters who were now in full pursuit of them.

They had death eaters approaching from all angles and the three decided to split up. It would be more difficult to catch three separate people than if they remained together as a trio.

Harry had managed to dodge all the death eaters and he managed to squeeze himself on the floor under one of the shelves. He stayed there and hid as he heard spells being cast across the other side of the room.

Eventually, where Harry had hidden went silent and Harry felt safe enough to climb out from under the shelf. The coast was clear and he made a run for it, he ran out of the aisle and found himself facing the door. He ran through it leaving his friends behind.

Ron had been running through the aisles like a madman, he had no idea where his friends were but he had cast a shield charm around himself to keep him fairly protected from any stray spells as he ran. He had just managed to make it to the door when he was hit with a confundus charm. He fell through the door, confused.

Hermione was running, she could hear the shouts of the death eaters getting louder, they were close. She had cast a shielding charm around herself to hold off the minor spells. But it wouldn't do if they decided to cast something a bit stronger. She ran out of an aisle, turned a corner and began running down another, only to come face to face with a death eater.

"Potters mudblood" the death eater said darkly.

"What to do with you? How about...crucio" Hermione braced herself for the curse, not having time to deflect. She screamed, she wasn't sure how painful it would be but this was excruciating and far beyond her imagination.

She had only been under the spell for a few seconds when it was lifted.

"Get Potter, he has the prophecy" a voice yelled.

The death eater attacking Hermione stopped and left her, he preferred the hunt for Potter anyway. The thrill was in the chase and never the capture.

The other death eater approached her.

"Can you stand?" He whispered.

Hermione groaned but stood. She was lucky she wasn't in pain, her muscles just ached.

Hermione looked at the death eater and tried to determine who he was.

"Now, I'm going to chase you, make it look believable and they will leave us alone. Head for the door" he instructed her. She recognised his voice.

"Draco?" She whispered.

She saw the slight nod of his head.

"Ready? Run!" He said.

Hermione took off running in the direction of the door. Her aching muscles protesting with every step, Draco was right behind her as he 'chased' her to the door.

Hermione made it and she pushed herself through the door.

She was falling, she could see the ground rising up to meet her, she closed her eyes and braced herself for impact.

An impact that never came.

When she opened her eyes, she noticed that she hovered about half a foot from the ground and then the spell released and she landed with a soft thud on the ground.

Hermione noticed that the boys were already there and Ron was staring worriedly at Harry. He noticed Hermione and stood next to her, helping her up.

"He's hearing voices now" Ron said as they watched Harry state at the empty archway.

Harry snapped out of it a moment later and faced his friends.

"They're going to follow" he said.

The three of them took a defensive position. They had no idea where the death eaters would be coming from but they knew they would be coming.

A moment later thick black smoke surrounded the trio and as they tried to cast spells, they found they couldn't.

Harry was knocked to the floor and as the black smoke cleared he noticed that Ron and Hermione were no longer with him.

He looked around and noticed that Ron and Hermione had been forced to their knees and they both had at least six wands pointed at each of them.

"One wrong move Potter and they die" Lucius Malfoy said.

"We want the prophecy" Bellatrix demanded.

"No" Harry said firmly.

"We will kill them" Lucius stated as he began muttering a spell.

Harry admitted defeat and began to hand the prophecy over when a strong, white flash of light entered the room.

The whole Order appeared from nowhere and spells were being cast. Lucius Malfoy was the first to take a direct stunning spell. The prophecy ball fell to the floor and smashed.

"You alright Harry?" Moody said as he approached the young boy.

Harry nodded.

"Let's get you three kids out of here" Moody said.

Ron was being moved by his father to meet up with Harry.

"Arthur, get the kids out" Moody ordered.

Arthur nodded.

"Where's Hermione?" Arthur asked.

Hermione was trying to reach the boys but when the Order had come, she had been flung to the other side of the room. She was slowly making her way around the room when she ran into a death eater.

"We haven't finished" said the same death eater from earlier.

Hermione cast a spell to knock him backwards. The death eater lost balance and toppled over, his mask had come off.

Hermione didn't recognise the man but a death eater seemed less threatening without a mask on.

The death eater retaliated and cast a spell at Hermione that was worse than a cruciatus. Hermione felt like her skin was being ripped in half. The death eater was about to cast another spell when Remus appeared from nowhere.

He cast a spell and magically bound the death eater. Most of the death eaters had either fled or had been rounded up. This battle was over.

Hermione lay on the ground in immense pain. All she could see on the ground around her was red. It was blood, her blood and it was everywhere. She couldn't move, she couldn't hear and she couldn't see. But she knew she was screaming.

The death eaters were gone, the boys had been taken away by Arthur and only the Order members remained.

"You're too late Tom" Dumbledore's booming voice could be heard from the next room.

Hermione's senses cleared and she could hear multiple, powerful spells being cast. She was worried.

Remus was still with her.

"Dumbledore's battling Voldemort" he told her.

Hermione's world swam as she tried to keep her eyes open.

"Severus, I don't know what she's been hit with" Remus said.

Severus floated into Hermione's vision.

"Purple, it was purple" she mumbled as Severus lifted her into his arms.

She blacked out.

When she woke she was in the hospital wing. She tried to move but found the weight of the bandages on her chest wouldn't let her.

"What you did was foolish" a voice berated her from her bedside.

She turned her head and saw Severus staring at her, he didn't look happy with her at all.

"You nearly died" he stated.

"Had you not told me the colour of that curse, you would have died" he said dangerously.

"Who?" Hermione managed to choke out.

"Antonin Dolohov" Severus replied.

"The others?" She asked.

"All fine, luckily no deaths" Severus said.

Hermione slowly became more aware of her surroundings and she was able to listen in on what was being said.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't stop Harry" she sighed.

Severus ignored her apology and helped her to drink a glass of water.

Hermione had heard about Dumbledore's fight with Voldemort and how the Minister and his secretaries had seen the Dark Lord in the flesh and finally believed Dumbledore.

Umbridge had been sacked due to violation of protocol when it came to punishing the students and Dumbledore had been reinstated. Everything seemed back to normal but Hermione knew it was everything but.

"You'll have a nasty scar down your front dear but I can't do anything about that" Madame Pompfrey had said.

Her scar looked gross, she hated it. She knew she wasn't a stunning girl as it was without an ugly scar marring what she did have.

After Hermione was released, she went and saw Severus and Draco in Severus' rooms.

"Any reason why you and Potter had identical matching bruises on your faces? Both hand print shaped?" Severus queried.

"Things got aggressive when we first arrived at the Ministry. Harry and I took it out on each other" she said.

"He laid a hand to you?" Severus asked astonished.

She nodded.

"But I laid a hand on him too. We were both at fault so you cannot blame him for all of it" she told Severus.

"Also, thanks Draco" she said.

He hugged her gently and told her she was welcome.

Severus looked confused and so Hermione relayed the whole story from when she flooed to the Ministry to waking up in hospital.

Severus was impressed with Draco, none of the death eaters had any idea and that would keep Draco safe.

Draco soon called it quits and left, leaving Severus and Hermione alone.

"I'm still mad at you for putting yourself in that position" Severus stared firmly.

"I know" Hermione whispered as she looked down at the floor.

"I've never been so frightened in my life, you do that again and there will be hell to pay" Severus said.

Hermione chewed her lip and nodded in understanding. Then she yawned. She was still exhausted and her muscles still ached.

"Time for bed" he said as he led her to his room.

She went to get ready for bed but hesitated when she went to remove her shirt.

"Can you look away?" She asked Severus.

Severus frowned, she'd not asked him to do that for a while. Then realisation hit him.

"No" he said.

Hermione blinked at him.

"Don't hide from me, remove your shirt" Severus said gently.

She shook her head, her eyes tearing up.

"I don't want you to see" she cried out.

"Remove the shirt or I will divest it. Don't be afraid, I'm not going to turn you away" he whispered to her.

She couldn't move so Severus made his way to her and grasped the hem of her shirt. He gently pulled it up and over her head and looked down at the new, deep scar that was still healing on her body.

She looked away but Severus grabbed her chin so she had no choice but to look at him.

"Beautiful" he whispered in her ear as he bent down to capture her lips.

Hermione automatically kissed him back and Severus manoeuvred them to the bed and they both got into bed still lightly kissing.

"Don't let anyone tell you otherwise" Severus said.

She gave him a small smile with, still, a hint of uncertainty and he pulled her close to him. He trailed his hand down her body, down her scar.

"Beautiful" he whispered again as Hermione fell asleep.


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N: Thank you all once again for the comments and reviews and to all those who read this story, I'm really nervous about these last two chapters. This is the penultimate chapter of this story. I cannot believe this fanfic is almost over. This chapter has a bit of everything going on and I hope you enjoy how everything starts to unravel.**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Possible mentions of sexual assault, violence, bad language and other sexual situations**

 **The Build-Up, Draco's Task and Disappearances**

Severus had just got back from another death eater meeting. Now that the world knew the Dark Lord was back, he was calling his death eater meetings much more frequently.

It had been just over a week since the battle at the Ministry and Severus had already been summoned three times. He hardly ever got called during the term time at school because it was more difficult for him to 'sneak out'.

Tonight's meeting had been the finalising of the Dark Lords next attack. It was to happen here at Hogwarts. Nothing major was to happen though, this was Draco's test and he was expected to get the death eaters into Hogwarts, bring them up to the astronomy tower where Draco would torture one of Harry's loved ones.

Draco and Severus had talked and they still didn't know who was going to be the person tortured. Hermione had naturally offered but both men had shot her down and even refused to tell her anything else just in case she tried to intervene. They knew it couldn't be Dumbledore because there was no way that Draco would have been able to outmatch Dumbledore. They had decided that the most likely person would be Ronald Weasley or one of Potters other male friends, maybe even Longbottom.

Draco had to accomplish the task before the summer holiday. He had just over five weeks.

On top of that, Hermione was getting more and more difficult to distract. Severus needed to think of something and quickly.

"I wish I had done better" she said one evening when she had snuck down to the dungeons and to his rooms.

Severus paused in his reading and looked at her confused. He was surprised to see that she had stopped reading and was just staring into the fire. Severus put his book down.

"I'm sure you did perfectly fine in your exams darling" he said to her, trying to be encouraging. In his opinion, it was almost unhealthy that she worried so much over them. But he had been in her position before and understood the pressure you were put under by exams.

"I didn't mean exams" she said still staring at the flames.

Severus frowned.

"Then what did you mean love?" He asked her gently.

"The battle at the Ministry. We have all missed a year of proper defence lessons because of Umbridge. The group that Harry led was good for practising what we already knew but we haven't learned hardly anything at all. It was unfortunate that Umbridge plied Cho with truth serum and it was disbanded. I just felt that had we had a better teacher this year, we would have done better at the battle" she said.

"You shouldn't have even been there. So that is your own fault. Plus, it still would've been three fifth years against the inner circle of the dark lord's ranks. You still would have lost against them" Severus replied.

Hermione agreed.

Then Severus had the best idea ever. He had been looking for a distraction for her, this would be perfect if she agreed.

"Well exams are over, we have five weeks until summer, how about we go to the room of requirement three or four times a week and practice some defence?" Severus asked.

Hermione's face lit up and she grinned.

"Really?" She asked.

"Of course, you once said that you were technically seventeen already because of your time turner travels in your third year, was that true?" He asked her.

"Yes it's true, why?" She asked.

"I wanted to make sure that you no longer had the trace on you" he said.

"Oh! No, I don't. I've tested it, that was scary, but I no longer have a trace" Hermione grinned at him.

"Good" he smirked at her.

Hermione frowned.

"Would it have made a difference if I still had the trace?" She asked him.

"Not for most things however, for what I want to teach you, it would be best if you didn't have the trace" he stated.

"What are you going to teach me?" She asked excitedly.

"What does the term 'The Three D's' mean to you?" He asked her.

A week later and Hermione was jumping up and down like a child, squealing as she lept into Severus' arms.

"I did it! I did it! I did it!" She exclaimed happily.

"You certainly did" he said.

Hermione Granger had just apparated for the first time. It was nothing huge but she had managed to move ten meters and that was fantastic for a weeks' worth of practice.

"Good job, how do you feel about twenty feet?" He smirked at her.

By the fourth week, Severus had Hermione apparating just outside the boundaries of Hogwarts and to a remote part of Hogsmeade village.

He had also taught her more occlumency, she was now a natural and Severus was thoroughly proud of her. She could also do a fair share of strong wandless and wordless magic. Not many fully grown wizards could even do that. Severus had to admit that he was immensely proud of her.

Hermione was extremely pleased with herself as well and she continuously thanked Severus, in a way they both seemed to enjoy, for being a fantastic coach.

Severus was satisfied, he had successfully kept Hermione distracted and had also been able to keep up with his death eater meetings, talking with Draco and Order meetings without Hermione even noticing that anything was going on.

Dumbledore had agreed that he would lower the wards around the castle at the exact second that Draco was scheduled to allow the death eaters access to Hogwarts and Dumbledore would keep the wards lowered until the Order had shown up and rounded up what death eaters and they had all left the grounds once more.

Severus agreed that this was the best case scenario as it would mean that Draco would appear successful, the death eaters were somewhat controlled by Dumbledore and Minerva, who would wary on the evening that the death eaters were due and hopefully the damage would be minimal.

Everything was ready, they were as prepared as they could be.

On the night, Severus prepared Draco for a long evening. Draco was scared, he wasn't sure he could do this. On their way to the astronomy tower, they bumped into Vincent Crabbe. Severus saw the perfect opportunity and used the imperius curse to get Crabbe to inform Dumbledore what was going on before forgetting about the whole evening and going to bed.

Crabbe followed the orders and went to the headmaster's office where Dumbledore and Minerva were having tea. Crabbe told them that something was happening and that Severus wanted to meet them in the astronomy tower, then he seemed to forget why he was there in the first place, apologised for intruding and left for his dormitory. Dumbledore understood what that meant and so he took a deep breath and lowered the wards around the castle and even the anti-apparition spell over the castle. It would make it easier for the Order to get through the school quicker to capture the death eaters.

"Contact Sirius at Grimmauld and tell him its time and the Order need to get here quickly" Dumbledore told Minerva as he removed the charms.

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was reading by the fireplace when Harry awkwardly came down with his map and his invisibility cloak. He looked at her, his face was pale.

Their friendship had been strained over the last few weeks but they were slowly building bridges again and they would talk to each other now and then.

"What's wrong Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Take a look at this" he said as he made his way towards her and opened up his map.

"Do you see it?" he asked.

Hermione looked closely at the map and paid particular attention to the astronomy tower when something caught her eye.

"Right there! Do you see it? Something's going on Hermione, we need to get to the astronomy tower now" Harry said, voice shaking with adrenaline as he pointed to the dots that had appeared on his map. Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, Fenrir Greyback and Macnair, to name a few, had just appeared on the map in the astronomy tower.

"Of course Harry, let's go" Hermione exclaimed as she watched Harry grab his invisibility cloak and make a beeline for the portrait entrance.

As soon as he had turned his back on her, Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed it at Harry.

"Pertrificus Totalus" Hermione said as she watched Harry's whole body freeze and fall to the ground with a thud.

She grabbed Harry and pulled him away from the main part of the floor so that he wouldn't get trodden on or tripped over. She then grabbed his cloak and threw it over him so that nobody would see him.

"I'm sorry Harry, I can't let you do this" she whispered in his ear.

Taking one last look at his eyes, she bent down and kissed his cheek.

"I love you brother" she said as she got to her feet and fled the common room and headed for the astronomy tower.

She cast a disillusionment charm on herself and kept her eyes closely on the map so she could avoid any undesirables roaming the castle. She wondered if she should send her patronus to Dumbledore but upon looking at the headmaster's office, she noticed that Minerva, Dumbledore and Vincent Crabbe were in there and she decided not to expose the situation with the son of a death eater in the same room.

She continued her journey and stopped at the bottom of the stairs that would take her to the top of the tower. She was about to start climbing but she heard footsteps running behind her.

Without even looking to see who it was, she instinctively ducked out of view and hid in a narrow alcove that was next to the staircase. She bent down low, hoping to be hidden by the shadows and held her breath as she watched the footsteps hurry up the stairs.

It sounded like there was only one set but she couldn't see the map in the darkness and she wasn't going to risk a lumos charm when she didn't know who was around her and death eaters above her.

She waited a couple of minutes before realising that she still had the disillusionment charm placed on her and chuckled at her stupidity in spite of the situation.

There were now tortured screams coming from above her, they were male screams too. She didn't think much further and began running up the steps.

'That could be Severus or Draco being harmed up there' she thought to herself as she pushed her muscles to the max.

Once she got to the top of the steps, she looked up and could see Bellatrix Lestrange grinning and chuckling manically at the poor soul who was being tortured.

Hermione quickly tried to look at the map and noticed there were dots now heading towards the tower, the dots were appearing all over the place, both downstairs and what appeared to be in mid-air outside.

Hermione was relieved to see the names Tonks, Lupin and Moody starting to appear, the Order were here and they were coming for the death eaters.

"Keep going!" Bellatrix shouted.

Hermione moved around the space below the group quietly and looked up again, she wanted to see who else had arrived.

She nearly gasped in shock when she saw Draco, pointing his wand towards the ground, a look on pure hatred on his face.

'Is Draco the one doing the torturing?' Hermione wondered to herself.

Her fears were confirmed when the spell left his lips.

"Crucio" he spat at the victim.

Hermione was surprised at the sheer angry force that Draco was putting into his casting.

She froze as another thought hit her.

There were Order members on their way up to the tower at that very moment. If they caught Draco, red handed, casting an unforgivable...

Hermione shivered, she didn't want to know how that would end for Draco. Now, all she knew was that she needed to get in there and stop Draco before the Order saw him.

Without hesitation, she launched herself quickly up the last few steps to the very top of the tower and decided to go with the element of surprise.

Within a second, Hermione had launched the door open and hit Draco with a stunning spell.

Caught off guard with the lack of actually seeing a physical presence in the doorway, Draco didn't have time to react and he was thrown across the top of the tower and hit the wall, causing him to blackout.

Bellatrix wasn't as slow and as soon as Hermione cast the stunning spell at Draco, Bellatrix had cast the counter to Hermione's disillusionment charm, Hermione was now visible.

"Hello Mudblood" Bellatrix said gleefully, she knew she was going to have fun here.

Hermione stood strong, refusing to cower before a group of death eaters. She could tell that Severus was internally panicking and tried not to worry too much about him and rather concentrate on the psychotic witch who was currently pointing her wand at Hermione.

"Anything you want to say?" Bellatrix asked sarcastically in that high pitched, insane tone.

"No? Pity. You may have to join my cousin then" she said as she gestured to the semi-conscious body of Sirius Black.

Hermione stared in shock.

'So it had been Sirius that passed me on the stairs' she thought to herself.

Well, that potentially have a whole new meaning to why Draco was so violent with his casting, he had wanted to hurt Sirius for quite some time.

Hermione knew it was awful but she didn't actually feel sorry for Sirius at this moment, not at all.

Hermione looked at Bellatrix with indifference.

"No? You don't care? Well, you will have to be punished for taking down my nephew. That was awfully impolite of you, although I don't expect someone of your background to fully understand that" Bellatrix said as she drew back her wand to cast what would be some nasty hexes.

Before Bellatrix could cast anything, a spell hit her from behind and she was thrown to the floor by its force.

Everyone had been distracted by the spell that had come through the tower window from outside that nobody was watching the door.

Spells came flying through the doorway and Greyback and Macnair hit the floor. The death eaters had been so caught off guard that they were now casting in pure panic as Tonks, Lupin and Shacklebolt stormed through the door and Moody flew through the window on a broomstick.

Hermione ducked in an effort to dodge all the stray hexes whilst trying to keep her eyes on where the remaining death eaters were. She was struggling.

Hermione could make out Minerva, Dumbledore and other Order members also entering the tower to assist but the Order had been pretty successful already.

There was some smoke still swirling around the room but everything was quite now. It seemed all the death eaters were down.

"Round them up" Moody ordered.

The Order members started grabbing the fallen death eaters and apparating them away.

Hermione was still trying to make her way through the smoke.

"Take Sirius and Mr Malfoy to the hospital wing for treatment" Dumbledore ordered.

"No!" Moody exclaimed roughly.

"Black is coming with me, he's evaded Azkaban for a while now and we still want him to be taken to trial. We will have healers dispatched to Azkaban so they can treat Black there" Moody stated in a 'no excuses' tone.

Dumbledore looked like he was ready to argue but Moody glared back at Dumbledore menacingly as he bent down to secure Sirius Black and Dumbledore could do nothing about it so, he backed down.

Lupin emerged with Draco Malfoy in his arms and headed down the stairs towards the hospital wing.

"What happened to the boy?" Moody asked Severus.

"He didn't deliver on what his aunt had asked him to do so he paid the price and was punished for it" Severus stated.

Moody looked suspiciously at Severus and then turned to Hermione.

"You girl! Is what the Professor said true?" He asked her.

Hermione nodded.

"Yes, Draco was flung backwards into the wall and hit his head" Hermione stated, she had become quite an accomplished liar.

"How do you know this?" He asked her.

"I was below but then I saw it happen" she said, adding a silent 'I made it happen' in her head.

Moody nodded and went to interrogate Severus more but then he paused and turned back to Hermione.

"Just what the devil were you doing up here girl?" He asked.

Hermione gulped.

"I was on patrol and I heard voices and footsteps, my instinct told me something was wrong so I disillusioned myself and hid from sight as they came up here" she said.

"And why did you not alert the headmaster or another member of staff or adult?" He asked her.

"Because I was safe where I was. I didn't know how many of them there would be and I didn't know if there were more coming up the staircase so I didn't move, I was silent and waited for the opportune moment" Hermione replied.

"Good, well kid, you do well under pressure" Moody said as he moved to help gather Bellatrix, he'd been after her for a long time.

Hermione moved to the window to get some fresh air and she allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she noted all the bad guys being rounded up.

She looked at Severus and she gave him a small smile, he gave her a small nod in return, keeping it formal given the present company.

Hermione stood and went to join the others once more but there was a sudden bang and the air filled with smoke once more. Hermione was disoriented and she knew that the bang had been quite close to her. She tried to move towards what she thought was the middle of the room and she could hear people shouting her name.

"Hermione!" Minerva was shouting frantically.

"Miss Granger!" Severus called out, sounding equally as nervous as the two professors tried to make their way through the smoke.

Hermione knew they were making their way towards her and was relieved when she felt a hand grasp her wrist.

"Thought you'd escape me Mudblood?" The cold voice asked, whispering dangerously in her ear.

Hermione screeched at the top of her lungs as she was dragged backwards towards the window. The air by the window had cleared and enabled Hermione to see who had grabbed her.

Hermione gasped as she took in the face of Antonin Dolohov, the same man who had almost killed her a few weeks earlier. She knew she was in trouble and was trying to reach for her wand that she had tucked back in her pocket.

"Tut tut" Dolohov growled as he noticed where her hand was headed.

He lifted her roughly onto the window ledge and climbed up onto it next to her. He then held her, bending her backwards so she was out the window. If he let go of her, she would fall to her death.

The smoke cleared and the remaining Order members made way for the window, wands drawn. They paused upon seeing Dolohov holding Hermione out the window.

"Lay one spell on me and I will let her go" he said.

They hesitantly relaxed their wand arms knowing that if they so much as rendered him unconscious, he would naturally let go and she would fall.

"Now Antonin, perhaps we can come to some agreement" Moody offered.

"I don't know...it would have to be a good arrangement. I thought I'd already killed her in the department of mysteries. But now I have the opportunity to take her, break her and hurt her as much as I want" Dolohov contemplated.

"What do you want? We will give it, just let the girl go" Moody growled.

"You want me to let the girl go?" He asked sarcastically, turning this into a game.

"Have it your way" he said as he let go of her out the window.

Dolohov dived out after her and the two of them were falling towards the ground. Dolohov had been given the power of flight by his dark master and fully intended on using it now. He would take the girl and make her suffer for his pleasure.

As Dolohov was a full grown, heavy man, he was catching up with Hermione and he reached out to grasp her ankle.

Severus' heart stopped the second he knew what Dolohov was going to do. As soon as he had let go of Hermione, Severus made a run for the window, fully prepared to jump out after them. He had been given the gift of flight too by the Dark Lord and he knew there was a possibility he could track Dolohov.

However, Moody and Minerva held him back as he tried to dive out the window.

The three of them watched helplessly as the two bodies fell towards the ground. They didn't know what to wish for, what was worse? An instant death by hitting the ground after a hundred foot fall or, captured by a death eater?

An agonised scream could be heard in the tower and Severus would realise later that it was his own.

Severus got one last good look before there was a loud crack. The two falling bodies had disappeared in a cloud of black smoke that raced like a nightmare towards the mountains.


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N: This is it guys, this is the very last chapter for this story, I hope you have all enjoyed this fanfic just as I have enjoyed writing it. This story started out as a way of helping a friend deal with an unfortunate situation and she is now doing much better and has been able to pick her life up and is going strong. The second half of this story was all my imagination and it has been fun for me to be able to explore different relationships, friendships and different storylines.**

 **A/N: Chapter Warnings – Potential mentions of sexual assault, abuse, violence, bad language, other sexual situations and dark themes.**

 **The Final Chapter**

Sirius Black was sat in his small prison cell in the most heavily guarded part of Azkaban. Moody had told him that he was going to be in that cell until his trial began, which wasn't going to happen until at least the end of August. He had tried to contact Dumbledore many times to get assistance but, there was nothing Dumbledore could do for him now. Moody was adamant that he was to remain in prison for the rest of his life and that Moody would die before he would allow a rapist and a potential murderer to walk the streets again.

Sirius sat in his cell, thinking about the differences between the choices he had and the choices he made. In regards to Hermione Granger, Sirius Black had felt that she was something that he wanted but would never be able to have. So, he had taken matters into his own hands and forced her into a situation that had nearly destroyed her. Sirius knew that his chances of escaping Azkaban, again, were highly unlikely and he knew that his chances of being cleared at his trial were practically nonexistent. As he looked around the tiny, dark, damp and rotting cell, all he could think about was how familiar this all was. It was as if the walls were saying 'welcome home old friend, welcome to the rest of your life'.

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Many miles away, in a magnificent castle in Scotland, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley were sat in front of the common room fireplace. They had been told about what had happened, that Hermione had been taken and both the boys were feeling numb. Harry felt most guilty, he had treated Hermione awfully over the last few weeks. He had acted as if she were a complete stranger to him. Harry couldn't help but think that if he had been a little more understanding of his sister, then maybe none of this would have ever happened. Harry couldn't help but think that Hermione's best chance at survival right now was Severus Snape. Harry hated Snape but knew deep down that if anyone was never going to give up until he found her, then it would be Snape. Ron was thinking about how much Harry had driven Hermione away in the recent weeks, but he would never admit that to Harry, not yet. They both needed each other at the moment and Ron was not going to start having a go at Harry until they knew what was going on with Hermione.

Naturally, the whole school knew about Hermione's capture by the following morning of the event itself. The Gryffindors were in a solemn mood and were easily riled by some of the comments the Slytherins had been making. Neville Longbottom spent more and more time with Harry and Ron as a means of support. As the days slowly passed, the boys began letting Neville in a little bit more. One day the three of them had been sat around the fireplace when Ron looked at Harry.

"Do you think we should tell him the truth about everything?" Ron had asked quietly.

Harry paused for a moment and thought about it before slowly nodding. There had been so many rumours and awful stories going around, about how and why Hermione had disappeared and Harry felt that if one other knew the truth, it would make things a little better for Ron and him. Also, Harry felt that Hermione would not mind Neville knowing the truth, after all Neville had been there for her since the beginning and he never asked questions or demanded the truth from her, Neville had just listened. Something that everyone should have done for Hermione right from the start. Harry turned to Neville.

"It all started last August..." Harry began.

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Meanwhile:

Draco Malfoy woke up, he was disorientated but could tell he was in the hospital wing.

He groaned when he tried to move his head, he felt like his head was made of lead. As the memories came back to him and he fought hard not to blush, embarrassingly enough, he had been taken down by essentially air.

"Ah, Mr Malfoy, back with us I see" Madame Pompfrey smiled at him.

"You did well Mr Malfoy" she said.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Death Eaters broke into the school but don't worry, the Order sorted it out...well, for the most part anyway" her expression turned sad.

Draco wanted to ask but Pompfrey beat him to it.

"There were no deaths, well we are not entirely certain on that yet. Antonin Dolohov captured Miss Granger, there is a likely chance that he has killed her by now" Pompfrey said, trying not to cry.

"Granger?" Malfoy gasped. But she hadn't even been anywhere near the tower, he had seen her make her way back to her common room, minutes before he climbed the tower.

Pompfrey just nodded and then cast a diagnostic spell on him. She was satisfied that he was alright and gave him a pepper up potion and officially discharging him.

Draco wanted to get out, he wanted to go and see Severus. As soon as he was out of the hospital wing, he practically ran for the dungeons.

On his way down he nearly crashed into McGonagall.

"I apologise..." he said.

"What the devil are you doing running in the corridors?" She exclaimed.

"I..." he tried again.

"Don't worry Mr Malfoy, I see you are feeling better. Off to your dormitory?" She asked him.

Draco shook his head.

"I wanted to speak to Professor Snape first" he said.

McGonagall shook her head.

"I don't think now if the best time dear, he..." she hesitated.

"I know, I know exactly what he is going to be like which is why I want to see him" Draco said.

"I don't think you understand..." Minerva started but was rudely cut off.

"Excuse me for being rude Madame, but he is my godfather after all, I know exactly what has been going on in his private life recently so I shall say it again, I intend to see my godfather" he stated.

Minerva looked stunned, she knew Severus had always favoured Mr Malfoy but she never realised that Severus was Draco's godfather. She backed down and nodded.

"Just be careful, he's volatile and still has his wand. Look after him, see if you can talk some sense into him" she said as she patted his shoulder and continued her journey.

Draco raced the rest of the way to his godfather's private rooms and knocked. Upon receiving no answer, he let himself in. The wards recognised him after all.

The place was dark, Severus was clearly not here. Draco moved to go and sit on the sofa, he would wait until Severus returned.

Draco lit the fire in the fireplace and turned to sit down. Upon turning, he let out a frantic, terrified, high-pitched, super girly scream.

Severus had been there after all, he had been sat in his chair, in the dark, drowning himself in fire whiskey.

"You're up" Severus slurred.

Draco gulped at his godfather's deadly tone but moved to sit down anyway.

"He took her" Severus said bitterly.

Draco didn't know how to reply but a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"How long was I out?" He asked.

"Five days" Severus growled.

Draco winced, he'd been out for five days. Hermione had been at the hands of a notorious Death Eater for five days.

"I'm sorry" Draco said.

"I've been looking, thinking and wondering but there was no trace and no one knows where he is or where he might have taken her" Severus replied, still in that deadly tone.

"I will help you look" Draco whispered reassuringly whilst gently rubbing his godfathers forearm, hoping to be comforting.

Severus let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"It was her you know" Severus said.

Draco stared at him.

"She cast the stunning spell on you" Severus said.

"What! Why?" Draco exclaimed, he was shocked to learn that.

"She did it because she had Potter's map and knew that the Order was on its way. Had the Order seen you casting the cruciatus curse..." Severus informed him.

Draco nodded, knowing exactly what would have happened had he been caught.

"I never thought I'd want to torture someone before, then Black walked in instead of Weasley and I have never felt a desire quite as strong to harm someone as I did in that moment" Draco admitted.

"I know" Severus replied.

"It saved your skin though" Severus said.

Draco nodded thoughtfully.

"I was instructed by the Dark Lord to harm someone close to Potter. I expected that in the end, it would have been Granger or Dumbledore that I would have to harm, as they were both aware of the situation and would have agreed to it. Sentimental Gryffindors. But then Black strolled in, the Dark Lord is still convinced that Potter was on his godfathers side so, harming Black would mean that I succeeded in my task" Draco said out loud. It felt good to say it and it felt even better to be free from the task that had been looming over his head since Christmas.

"Agreed, you have been successful and have survived for now" Severus said.

"Although, I am pissed that you got to do it first" Severus chuckled darkly.

Draco gave him a sympathetic smile and squeezed his godfathers arm.

"Anyway, you could probably do with some sleep. It's late, go to bed" Severus ordered his godson.

"Only if you do" Draco said.

Severus agreed although Draco definitely did not believe him but decided not to press the issue.

Draco left and headed for bed. On his way to the dormitory, he saw Dumbledore heading for Severus' rooms. Draco tried not to laugh, the headmaster should probably be saying his prayers right now.

Dumbledore noticed Draco heading for his dormitory and guessed that Severus was now alone. Although Severus was in one of his dark moods and had been for days, there was still much more important matters to discuss.

"Severus?" Dumbledore said hesitantly as he entered.

"What?" Severus snarled rudely.

"Now Severus..." Dumbledore chastised.

Severus growled and it made Dumbledore back up a bit.

"Perhaps what I have to say can wait. The students will be sent home tomorrow, two weeks early, but at least they won't be around and we can process all of what has happened. But I really must speak with you Severus. Preferably not here at school, too many eyes and ears" Dumbledore said.

Dumbledore paused waiting for a response. He got none.

"Would it be acceptable if I came to see you at your family home Severus? Perhaps tomorrow evening?" Dumbledore pushed.

Severus growled again. He'd had enough of the old coot and he wanted to spend all his waking hours searching for his Hermione. Alive or dead, he wanted her home, where she belonged.

Severus decided to bite the bullet and agree to the old coot's request. The sooner he dealt with him, the sooner he would leave him alone.

Upon seeing Severus' agreement, the headmaster stood and let himself out.

"Thank you Severus. I will see you tomorrow" Dumbledore said as he left the room.

Severus was left alone to his thoughts, thinking woefully about his Hermione. He knew now he was alone and for the first time since it had all happened, he allowed himself to cry.

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Meanwhile, Hermione groaned as she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. The place still just as prison like as the first day she arrived. She was covered in cuts and bruises, she was in pain, everything was painful now. But she was still alive, she wasn't sure yet if that was a good thing or not.

She looked down at the cut on the top of her arm and at the top of her thigh. She grimaced at how deep they were, she thought she could even see the bone and was slightly worried about infection.

The best she could do was try and keep the wounds as clean as she could but she couldn't heal them, obviously. She couldn't use magic in here anyway, something was stopping her from using even wandless magic.

She had been waiting, for days, but no one had showed up. She was worried that she would be stuck here forever if no one came to help her soon. She could barely stand up with her thigh as cut up as it was and she couldn't move without the pain making her dizzy and forcing her back to the floor.

She had managed to find some old, dirty sheets that had been here for far too long and were stained with god knows what. But she had no choice, she had to wrap her wounds so they could begin to heal.

The more movement she made, the more the wound reopened.

She wasn't sure how many days she had been here as she kept drifting in and out of consciousness due to blood loss. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw her Severus and she wished nothing more than for him to be with her right now.

She lay down, she could feel herself drifting off again and she allowed sleep to claim her. Hoping that tomorrow would be less painful than today.

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The Gryffindor common room had been silent for nearly a week, everyone had been informed about what had happened and they all decided to respect the sombre atmosphere that came with a small bunch of fifth year students.

The three boys, Harry, Ron and Neville, spent most of their time sat on the couch in front of the fire, they had hardly moved. Only to eat and use the bathroom. If one shed a tear, they all started crying.

Harry had been more volatile than ever. He was so angry that Hermione had been taken, it was his fault. If he hadn't turned his back, then he and Hermione would have gone to that tower together but no, Hermione had put herself in danger, for him, again, and this time she had payed the price.

All students were being sent home today. Exams had already been done and over with but there was still two weeks left of the school term left. However, out of respect to Hermione, the governors had agreed to allow the students home early.

Ron, Harry and Neville had laughed humourlessly at that. The school was closing out of respect for Hermione. When the reality was, had Hermione been here, she would have been angry at the unfairness of missing two whole weeks of school. Then again, had Hermione been here then the school would not have been closing early at all.

As the students packed and headed towards the train, the remaining Weasley children, Harry and Neville were heading to McGonagall's office. They were spending the summer at Grimmauld Place. Harry, Ron and Neville were unsure how they felt about that, knowing that this had also been a personal hell for Hermione. Harry and Ron had needed a confidant after Hermione had been taken and the two boys eventually broke down and told Neville everything, from the previous summer and everything that had happened since, and Neville had promised to spend the summer with his friends, hoping he could be there for them. They knew ghost's existed and if Hermione was dead, she wouldn't be at peace visiting Grimmauld, which meant that, either way, they knew they wouldn't see her.

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Severus had packed up just enough of his belongings to last him the summer. He had prepared himself for a long and difficult holiday. He was going to be spending most of his time with the Death Eaters and praying for any news that he could get regarding his Hermione. He was determined to have her home.

He was probably already late for his meeting with Dumbledore at his own home. The old coot had never specified a time but Severus knew he was late anyway. Nothing he did would ever satisfy the old headmaster.

Severus sighed at the imagery set in his head.

Dumbledore would be sat on the sofa, in Severus' lounge, with a glass of alcohol and some bloody lemon drops, fiddling with his television in fascination and just generally making himself at home. Severus would enter his own house and be invited to 'take a seat' with Dumbledore.

He chuckled at the notion of being invited into his own home. Alas, Dumbledore was arrogant like that. He always knew where he wasn't wanted but he showed up anyway.

Severus gritted his teeth as he left the silent and dark castle behind him. He was always the last to leave the school grounds.

He headed for the apparition point and apparated to the point nearest to his home.

He walked towards his home and was unsurprised that Dumbledore had already made himself at home. From outside the house, Severus could see that Dumbledore had already turned on his electricity and was mucking about with his television. The television had always intrigued the old man.

Severus sighed and mentally prepared himself. He needed to get this over with.

Severus unlocked his front door and let himself in. He turned and closed the door and was locking it. He, was buying himself time to mentally prepare himself still.

"Severus, are you home?"

Severus' heart lept into his throat and his whole body froze for a fraction of a second before he dropped all of his belongings on the floor and spun back round to face the lounge and paused upon looking at the sofa.

Severus Snape promptly burst into tears; he was positively sobbing and snivelling as he rushed towards the sofa.

He had to touch to believe.

He collapsed on his knees and looked up into those eyes. He reached out to cup her pale, concerned face.

"You're real" he murmured through his tears.

Hermione grabbed his hand and kissed it.

"Severus?" She questioned still looking worriedly at him.

"I thought you were dead" he whispered as he picked her up and held her.

He squeezed her so tightly as he spoke.

"I thought he had got you, how the hell did you escape?" He asked as he kissed her all over whilst still sobbing.

Hermione let out a soft moan of pain and Severus froze.

He then looked at her, properly looked and noticed her body covered in bruises and then he noticed the old, torn linens, wrapped around her upper arm and upper thigh.

"You're injured" he stated, immediately rushing her upstairs to the room she had stayed in only weeks before.

"What happened?" He asked her softly as he whisked about the room grabbing bandages, his potions kit and bruise paste and began to heal her.

"I was falling, from the astronomy tower and I could see Dolohov reaching out to grab my ankle. I knew I needed to do something; I was honestly prepared to die before I let him capture me. Then, my mind went blank and it cleared. Then I thought, 'Destination, Determination and Deliberation'. I know we had practiced apparition but as I was falling, I think my magic sensed it and helped me save myself. I was surprised to learn that the headmaster had lowered all the wards but greatful all the same as it meant I could escape" she hissed as Severus started mending her muscle tissue in her thigh.

She had thrown up many times in the last few days when she accidentally caught sight of the bone that could be seen in her thigh. She couldn't believe she had managed to do that.

"There was a loud crack and the next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground, splinched in bloody Manchester. I knew I had been injured but I didn't look at how bad it was, I had your door key, on a chain around my neck which is where it has been since the day you gave it to me, and knew that I only had to make it to your home and I knew it wasn't far. It was dark so I knew it wouldn't be too difficult although, I must say I had forgotten that Manchester was a major red light district. After being asked several times how much I charged, I made it here. I passed out as soon as I had locked the front door. I didn't even make it to the lounge" she said.

Severus let out a shaky breath. He couldn't believe he had been sat at the school moping for nearly a week when she had been here the whole time, injured and suffering.

"I'm sorry" he stuttered out.

"For what?" She asked.

"For not coming sooner" he said.

"It's alright Severus, I understand. I wanted to tell you but then I remembered your 'no magic' policy, I was injured and my magic was so depleted from the apparition that I don't think I would've been able to summon a patronus anyway. So I waited, knowing that you'd come here eventually for the holidays. I was prepared to wait" she said.

"After you fell from the tower, we all thought Dolohov had got you. We didn't know if this was going to be a rescue mission or a body recovery" Severus choked on the last couple of words.

"Everyone thinks you're dead. Potter, Weasley, Longbottom, the Order and Draco, everyone" Severus said.

He had never felt so relieved before and he grimaced at her injuries.

"I can heal these but your body and magic have already begun the natural healing process. You're going to have a couple of vicious splinching scars" Severus warned her gently.

"That's fine, scars are fine. I will look at them and will always think how badass I was apparating in mid-air whilst falling to my death from over a hundred feet" she declared looking at her wounds proudly.

"I love you" Severus said.

"I love you too darling and I'm sorry I worried you so" she said as she leaned up and kissed him.

Severus moaned into the kiss, an hour ago he was convinced that he would never feel her beautiful lips against his ever again.

Hermione slowly started to pull him on top of her.

Severus paused.

"You're injured" he stated, breaking the kiss and slowly starting to pull away from her.

"There is nothing wrong with my lips" Hermione replied, pulling him back in for a snog.

They were busy snogging when a cough interrupted them from the bedroom doorway.

Hermione shrieked at the unexpected company whilst Severus cursed at his forgetfulness.

Albus Dumbledore stared thoughtfully at them.

Hermione was trying to cover herself as she was literally only wearing a pair of knickers after Severus had to remove the rest in order to heal her.

"You've know Miss Granger's whereabouts this whole time?" Dumbledore asked.

"Don't be dense old man, of course I didn't" Severus snarled in return.

"Then how did she get here?" Dumbledore asked.

"I gave her a key to my home back in April" Severus replied.

Dumbledore just stared at Severus, a rare moment of surprise graced his features.

"April?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Did you really believe Minerva when she told you that Hermione was staying with her at her private home?" Severus asked, smirking that Dumbledore had truly been fooled for once.

Dumbledore looked like he was about to argue when he noticed all the bloody bandages and Severus' potions kit and healing apparatus.

"You're injured Miss Granger?" Dumbledore looked slightly worried.

"I managed to apparate whilst I was falling but splinched myself in the process. My magic was depleted and I couldn't get a message sent to you. I apologise for the concern I have caused" she said.

"I should have protected you from the situation in the first place and for that it is I who must apologise. If there is anything I can do for you Miss Granger, please ask" he said.

"Well there is one thing..." she trailed off.

Dumbledore looked at her expectantly.

"Severus and I are free to choose how we conduct our lives in regards to our relationship. I am seventeen and therefore regarded as an adult in the wizarding world. You will not interfere and will keep your opinions to yourself. This has been going on for nearly a year now. My learning has not been affected, nor has anybody else's, my grades do not reflect anything other than the work I have put into my studies and Severus and I have never been anything short of highly discreet and professional when it comes down to my education" she said firmly.

Dumbledore stared for a moment before nodding his head in acceptance to her terms. It was the least he could do for the misery he had put her through for the year. Also, there was nothing in the rules against a teacher and a student being together as long as both parties were of age.

"Anything else?" He asked.

"You will never breathe a word about Severus and I to anyone. I will not have his reputation pulled down because he dared to love once more. I will not allow you to paint me as the scarlet woman either sir. I will want a no loop hole wand oath when you are away from this home. I will be checking the next time I see you sir" she stated.

Dumbledore nodded, he understood Severus' 'no magic' rule and knew that he would have to make a wand oath for the girl was thorough when it came down to it.

"Anything else?" Dumbledore asked.

"Just one more thing. Tonight, I take it that you are here to speak to Severus about something important. However, after you are done here tonight, you will leave Severus and I alone to enjoy the rest of our summer. No demands to meet with him, no showing up at this home unannounced and no forcing Severus to come and see you every time he may or may not have been called to a meeting" she stated.

"If Severus feels that the information he has is of the utmost importance and it is something the Order needs to know there and then or if there is something you need to tell him, then of course you do not have to uphold the promise. But I do want Severus to have the break he deserves this summer, I have a feeling that everything has changed now and the war will begin very soon. Severus needs to relax and rest so he is prepared. He is your best warrior, your only hope and I will not have him anything but healthy" Hermione finished.

"Understood Miss Granger. I will try to oblige to those requests for the sake of Severus. I can see that you will look after him well" Dumbledore said, looking thoroughly chastised in the doorway.

"Well she told you off" Severus finally said, looking stunned at his love's fierce protectiveness over his well-being.

"Indeed she did. Like I said, it's the least I can do for her, for the both of you. However Severus, if I may have a word and then I shall leave you to tend to Miss Granger and hope not to inconvenience anymore of your summer than necessary" Dumbledore said.

Severus nodded.

"I will be back shortly love" he said as he kissed her cheek.

Hermione was starting to feel sleepy again and her eyes closed.

Her eyes opened again when she heard movement in the bedroom.

She immediately saw Severus.

"Has he gone?" She asked him.

Severus nodded.

"He's gone" he grinned at her.

"Come to bed love" she said to him, in a husky voice.

"Now darling, you're still injured and you know full well that, that tone of voice weakens my self-control" Severus said to her as he undressed for bed.

Hermione just grinned up at him as he climbed into bed next to her.

The two of them settled down, snuggling together whilst avoiding Hermione's wounds.

"And I still cannot believe they closed the school two weeks early" Hermione said as the pair of them began falling asleep.

Severus chuckled at her, still the same Hermione.

"Goodnight love" he said to her as he kissed her cheek.

"I love you Severus" she said and kissed him back.

"I love you too sweetheart" he whispered back.

Everything was alright, for now anyway. The help Hermione had asked for, had finally been given.

Finis.

 **A/N: I will write an afterword, which I will put up in a couple of days as there are some personal thank you so I wish to say. I may also write a sequel, if you guys would be interested. Please let me know. If I do write a sequel, it will take me awhile to put it up. So don't expect anything sooner than September and I might start a new story after the summer holidays. I just want to say a thank you to all of those who have read, commented, reviewed, followed and favourited this story. I wish you a happy summer. I hope you enjoy the ending.**


	56. Chapter 56

**A/N and a Snippet**

 **A/N:** Hello everyone! I hope you have all had a fantastic Christmas and a Happy New Year. Firstly I wanted to say a massive thank you to all of you, I am still getting notifications telling me that people are still reading, favouriting, following and reviewing this story, even though it has been completed for over half a year! You guys are all amazing! Now, onto the more exciting bit…

I want to let you know that I am doing a sequel and I have the first few chapters of the second part already written. I am hopefully returning with bigger and better ideas and a few more 'didn't see that coming' moments and hopefully, I have become better at proof-reading so my spelling and grammar errors will be limited or, better yet, non-existent. I'm going to continue to write and prepare chapters over the next month but I'm going to hold off for a little while longer before I start posting. I'm doing this because I like to know what direction my narrative is taking before I post anything so I avoid risking writers-block or massive gaps between posting chapters, because I don't know where the story is heading next. I'm going to work really hard on getting more chapters written because I don't start my second semester back at University until the beginning of February and I do not have any exams this month. I will put up another **A/N,** on this story, when I have posted the sequel and its first chapter so that you know what the name of the new story is, so you can look out for it. Once again, I want to apologise at how long it's taking me to do the sequel but I do promise that I am working on it and there will be a sequel coming soon. I hope you are all well and again, I thank you all. In hopes of compensating for my massive break between writing, I hope you can forgive me, with the snippet I have posted below. I hope you enjoy it, my dear readers, and please let me know what you think or if you have any questions just ask.

See you soon!

Carlos1995 x

 **Sequel Snippet:**

 **WARNING: This chapter will contain bad language and sex.**

Hermione smiled and stretched up to kiss him.

"Thank you" she said.

He chuckled and kissed her back.

"As amazing as this is, I have somewhere I need to be, I have been summoned by Dumbledore and he wants to see me personally before the Order meeting next week" Severus told her.

Hermione pouted at him and he leaned down and trapped her bottom lip between his teeth.

"If you carry on doing that, I will never get out of this bed" Severus said to her, voice thick with lust.

"Who says that's a bad thing lemon drop?" She whispered back seductively.

Severus was about a second away from taking her roughly once more when Hermione teasingly held up a finger in warning.

"Oh no mister, you have an appointment with Albus Dumbledore, no second round for you" she said, smirking.

"Tease" Severus muttered as he got up off the bed, his erection still primed and ready to go.

He paused in the bedroom doorway for a second.

"Why did you call me Lemon Drop?" He asked her.

She grinned at him.

"So that when Dumbledore offers you one, all you'll be able to think about is us shagging all day long. Have fun darling" she giggled.

Severus cursed.

"Minx" he said as he turned to get ready for his meeting with Dumbledore.


End file.
